Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira
This is a formal administrative and judicial document from the Portuguese colonial archives, dated 1642–1646, concerning the arrest, imprisonment, and extrajudicial murder of Diogo Vaz Freire, Administrator of the Royal Treasury (*administrador da fazenda real*) in Macau, by Dom Sebastião Lobo da Si...
Saved in:
| Format: | Manuscripts |
|---|---|
| Published: |
1644-01-05
|
| Subjects: |
Administrative Accountability
;
Arbitrary Detention
;
Captain-General of Macau
;
Conselho Ultramarino
;
Estado da Índia
;
Fazenda Real
;
Goa fiscal administration
;
Lisbon colonial administration
;
Macau Colonial Administration
;
Macau Municipal Council
;
Portuguese Estado da Índia
;
Portuguese coinage valuation
;
Portuguese colonial jurisdictional conflicts
;
colonial legal procedure
;
colonial power structures
;
fiscal administration
;
landed property disputes
;
military salary arrears
;
royal treasury administration
;
Manuscripts
|
| Online Access: | https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/57E5C2PJ/viewer_57E5C2PJ.html |
| _version_ | 1877197621050736640 |
|---|---|
| archiveLocation | PT/AHU/CU/062/0001/00036 |
| building | Portugal. Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino |
| collection | Portugal. Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino |
| description | This is a formal administrative and judicial document from the Portuguese colonial archives, dated 1642–1646, concerning the arrest, imprisonment, and extrajudicial murder of Diogo Vaz Freire, Administrator of the Royal Treasury (*administrador da fazenda real*) in Macau, by Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Captain-General of the same city. The document comprises a detailed account of the charges against Lobo, including his abuse of authority, unlawful seizure of royal and private property, systematic obstruction of fiscal administration, violent suppression of dissent, and the brutal killing of Vaz Freire and his servant on 4 May 1643 within the Convento do Capítulo in Macau. It records the subsequent investigation by the Overseas Council (*Conselho Ultramarino*), testimonies from witnesses including municipal officials, clergy, and royal magistrates, Lobo’s self-incriminating correspondence, and the Council’s recommendation for his immediate arrest, trial, and exemplary punishment. Key locations include Macau (referred to in contemporary usage as *São Paulo na China*), Goa, Lisbon, and Manila; central figures are Diogo Vaz Freire, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Dona Francisca Sacramento (Vaz Freire’s widow), and multiple royal officials including the Viceroy of India and members of the Royal Treasury Council. The document serves as a primary source for analysing colonial governance, jurisdictional conflict between fiscal and military authorities, the operation of royal justice in the Estado da Índia, and the use of archival documentation in early modern Iberian imperial accountability mechanisms. Anexos: 1643-10-16 - Cartas régias (cópia de três) de [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, ao capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, ao administrador da Fazenda Real, Diogo Vaz Freire, e ao Senado da Câmara de Macau, em que tomaram resoluções sobre a prisão de Diogo Vaz Freire. [1643-11-28] - Carta do Senado da Câmara de Macau a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre a prisão e morte do administrador da Fazenda Real, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. 1644-11-08 - Carta do capitão-geral de Macau, Luís de Carvalho de Sousa, a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre a chegada a Macau da notícia da prisão e morte do administrador da Fazenda Real, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem de D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira e inventariação dos seus bens. 1644-11-18 - Carta de D. Francisca a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre o assassinato de seu marido, o administrador da Fazenda Real de Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire. 1645-01-21 - Carta do vedor da Fazenda Real a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, em que remete correspondência do Senado da Câmara de Macau. 1644-11-03 - Carta do Senado da Câmara de Macau à Mesa da Fazenda Real de Goa sobre a proibição da saída do capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, sem pagar as dívidas à Fazenda Real. 1643-10-26 - Requerimento (traslado) do governador do Bispado da China, frei Bento de Cristo, ao Senado da Câmara de Macau sobre o pedido para que D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira seja obrigado a entregar os bens dos Castelhanos em depósito. 1643-11-28 - Carta do Senado da Câmara de Macau a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre a prisão dos Castelhanos e sequestro dos seus bens, pelo capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. 1644-10-30 - Traslado do escrivão da Câmara de Macau, Rafael Árias Novales, sobre a actuação do capitão-geral D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. [post. a 1645-01-17] - Consultas (2 minutas) do Conselho Ultramarino sobre a prisão e morte do administrador da Fazenda R |
| first_indexed | 2026-05-17T17:35:10Z |
| format | Manuscripts |
| fulltext | [transcription]
{{PAGE:1}}
11o
11o
1136 anos
Relação do que consta da denúncia
que teve o ldo João Alveresca
rrelho tercou pela procura de sua
Mgda como por petição administrador
sa ordem de Xpō de morte de Ds̄ Vos fizesse
no tempo que dali se bastiaõ lobo sor capitão geral da cidade de São Paulo servia também
nelle Do Vaz Freire de Administrador da fazenda Real e em tre ambos houve dúvidas de que
resultarão grandes ódios como foi encontrar-lhe o dito administrador que não
cobrava soldos, funções, de seus tirados e escravos e por também o dito capitão geral
pertencer que o dito administrador não provia nas embarcações que mandava
a Manila os feitores que nelas serviam de capitão por dizer que a ele como capitão
geral pertencia o provimento da pública carga e também porque mandando o dito geral
lançar hum bando para quartel do povo saírem do casa do administrador alguns folgados que criaram o tanbē e deram bofetadas em quem o tão gia de que seguirão entre
ambos os dias capitais
e em execução disto o ditos mandou o dito capitão geral prender ao dito administrador
e preso o mandou meter em huã logia em munda do castello com grelhas nos pés
olha mandou fichar huã janela que nela havia com o que ficou às escuras e sem clareza e com guarda ordinária de soldados que o não deixavam falar com alguém
e o capitão geral por hum bureguo que tinha na sua sala lhe disse e fazia muitas ameaças e é fama pública que também lhas mandava fazer por seus escravos
e logo no mesmo dia em que se fez a dita prisão foi com as custódias à casa do dito administrador e lhe fez inventário de tudo o que nela achou e do fato que tocava ao administrador fez de posse no seminário dos padres da Companhia e levou para sua
casa todo o mais feto e papéis pertencentes à fazenda Real e entregou todo o colei que
se achou ao mestre da fundação e outros que o capitão viesse fazer o inventário tiveram
lugar lium filho do administrador para terra da dita casa papéis e ouro e outras cousas
que foi de positas nomeis trador para terra da dita casa papéis e ouro
foi feita a dita prisão em doze de outubro de 642 e nela o teve com notáveis
a partes até quatro de maio de seiscentos e quarenta e três e na noite desse dia é
fama pública e constante que ninguém contradiz e o mesmo capitão assim o con
fessa que foi à dita logea com os seus cafres e que à poder de pancadas que deu
no dito Do Vaz Freire o matou e que por hum moço que servo criado se deitar
aos pés do dito capitão e lhe pedir que lhe não dissesse e que o deixasse confessar
e o Do Vaz Freire pediu também confissão o capitão os matou a ambos hum com
creus para das que lhes com o bastio e no moço com garrote portão bem chiar
pelas crueldades que via fazer a seu senhor e em bos morrentes famionisio
{{PAGE:2}}
snor̄
436
Esta matéria está resoluta e pela sereníssima Majestade, príncipe entā estava a seu cargo o descargo das cousas Ultramarinas, se lhes tirou elle que o administrava, auze o escrúpulo necessário pa este reg.o e com esta Consulta ua as cópias do q̄ se resolveo.
H. 12. de janeiro de 1644
P.
go Vaz Freire escreuera a V. Mg.e pello
P.
Com o da fazenda — que ho diue
Consa das molheres que padessia me
que padessia me
tido em hua prisão pello general da gla
Cidade per uoltar pella fazenda de Vin
E que fazendosse por aquelle Conselho.
Consulta a V. Mg.e: Cometera O Mge a
averiguação do negocio ao Doutor Fer
não Dematos de Carvalhossa, Procura
dor da fazenda de V. Mg.e, o qual lhe
deuera que a tinha feito Nemetido a
Vill. g.e
E pergū as embarcaçoẽs q̄
uaõ para aquella Cidade estão depoiti
da e sempre comuira ao serviço de V. M̄
que se tome resolução neste negocio conto
da a brevidade possível para que uā
nas ditas embarcações.
Pauco ao Conso que o devia Lembrar
a V. Mg.e, per q̄ se o administrador
procedeo como devia se lhe deve aui
dir e liuralo das molestias que pade
ce de que se queixa, e consequente men
te será razão que se lhe tire off.o haue
do procedido bem, e neste Cazo naõ
tera lugar aconselta que se fez a V. Mg.e
{{PAGE:3}}
Joaco gra
De Montalvão
Por este Conselho sob canonicação de pessoas
para este Cargo porq̄ quando ellas e fez
naõ tenha o Conselho Noticia questiaõ mi
motra do restaua prouido, E só te
ra Lugar adita nomeação em caso q̄
Villa q̄ naõ haja que o dito Cio gouernador
freire procedeo como deuia
Al de Santiso Ill. 4. de Acatella ha naõ
Inquisição e assylhe
Ao ge de Maguorque Judisil de souza
{{PAGE:4}}
Do Conselho pelo amarinho
sobre o admoestador da fé Real
Dio Vasco Figueiredo preto em Achená
Al.
22
{{PAGE:5}}
N36A1
Em Carta de S. Mag.de de 18 de Outubro de 1643. para Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva
Capitão Geral de Macau.
E ao V. Rey da Índia tenho cometido que tome particular formaçaõ das queixas
que fazeis do Administrador da fazenda para as Remédias em formaçaõ das queixas
vos em comendo mto, e mando que tanto que Reçeber desta Carta as oulteres, em quanto
o V. Rey, naõ toma conhecim.to do caso; e procureis cuidar toda ao caziaõ de Remetar
as de sauenças passadas, que tinstes com o Administrador.
Em Carta de S. Mag.de de 16 de Outubro de 1643. para Diogo Vaz Freire.
Vi a vossa Carta de 31 de Outubro do anno passado de 1642 em que me Referis as
de sauenças que entre vós, e o Cap.ã Geral dessa Cidade Dom Sebastião Lobo da
Silveira tem hauido, e como ficastes preso, por sua ordem, sobre Zelândia a
fazenda Real. E hauendosse considerado tudo com os mais particulares, de
que me destes conta p̃la mesma Carta; para se poder tomar Resoluçaõ na matéria
desta queixa com os fundam.tos que se Requerem; houue por bem de mandar Re-
meter ao meu V. Rey da Índia, para que por sua via procuja no caso como mais
conuenha, de man.ra que seja castigado quem o Merecer, no meando Ministro de
toda a satisfaçaõ, e com fiança a que Cometta o conheçim.to e aueriguaçaõ de neg.co
E ao Cap.ã Geral Dom Sebastião Lobo mandando escreuer e me acompanhar destas
mesmas vias que entretaneto vos solte logo da prizaõ. Mag. para a Camara da Cidade de Macau
Tambem pela mesma Via da Índia tenho mandado accordir as compettencias
que me dizeis hauia entre o Administrador da faz.da Diogo Vaz Freire, e o Geral
dessa Cidade Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, mandandolhe solte logo
ao Administrador, entretanto que vá Ministro taõbem particular que conheça
do caso, e aprezo a Verdade.
{{PAGE:6}}
Em Carta de S. Mag.de de 1643 p.a o R. Rey da Índia
& porq̄ Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira Cap.º geral da mesma Cidade
me auizou ter acabado o tempo de seu procuramento pedindo se lhe mande hiussos
tanto q̄ lhe no miardes pessoa, qual nestes principios comuem p.a aquella praça
ordenariis q̄ elle se Recolha Logo a essa Cidade de Goa, mandando Imidiata
m.to por ministro que p.a esse effeito alegarey de toda a comfiança e sa
tisfaçaõ deuassar dos competencias q̄ entrece lhe e progovaz freire Ad
ministrador da fazenda R.al Nigens de fapaõ, q̄ elle tinha prezo, e eu lhe
mandey soltasse logo e apurada a uerdade muj exactam.te fareis castigar
a quem o Merecer.
{{PAGE:7}}
AHU
1435 a2
Os Officiais dos m.ros de escreverão a V. M.
como a esta Cidade e
de hum nosso q̄ em Mu
Remedio q̄ depois daquellas
Restou, e moquel vyo huā pessoa.
dade por nome D. João Claudio pera tratar
Alhano
E Jeronimo Nunes de Queirós pera tratar
E provimentos pera Manila, em sua Companhia trouxe
enta ou sacerdote Lda dos Oitenta e o q̄ os
O q̄ de Manila foi comseruar a possessão desta cidade. por E.
de Castella, frades em huā obrigação q̄ os moradores desta co-
mum lhe fiseraõ, de a comcernar por El Rey Phelipe, tra-
E industria de q̄ Vsaraõ pa se sobertarem, assy, E ao cabedal de
sa Cidade, q̄ se naõ uiera, pecatiuem com sumida, a Prata
seria a lhe contra centos mil cardaos; E os nossos Vir-
duzentos homẽs; tanto q̄ a este porto chegaraõ mandara
a esta Cidade, E ao Cap̄ geral liureo, E beneplacito pa as
de entrar ao q̄ se lhes deferio, o podiaõ fazer; frades nisto
ssaraõ, com a sua Chegada alla, fes o Cap. Geral huā ju-
riz em esta Cidade, com os officiais della, e cō seus comeelheros, E
geis Cidadaõs velhos, do Experiencia; e moRezaõ da ordē q̄ o
do estado de Índia tinha mandado por suas cartas assy a es-
ta como a Cidade sobre os Castelhanos, e por todos se desiminou
Se auizaçe ao dito V. Rey da sua uinda, manifestando junta-
o pontento, q̄ tinhaõ, e trazião, e dando tudo huās cartas q̃
do seu go trouxeraõ, pa muitas pessoas del-
las q̄ se emuiaraõ alguās a essa cor-
rem ao Captor geral, E ao possiuais de
emqto o sobey, vltimamte naõ debemo
defazer, naõ molestaçem nem prem-
costei bom a
.m. se dera
{{PAGE:8}}
negado Dom Sebastião tomou
aue mel pr.a dos s.res
fe
alidade seo tinha prezos em seus
pouz com a om
Diz aqui maltratações, ou em alg
q̄ dos ditos Castelhanos, aos q̄ tomou
q̄ se depoestaraõ, por ordem sua, E
Compa de baixo de tres chaues, huā q̄ neous
adous officiaes della, E querendo o Conser
prata pera a paga do presídio pesio a Cidade o conçer
sse o q̄ ella numqua fez por ser contra a ordem de V. Rey ca
testhe protestou, naõ aceitace a dita prata do q̄ elle fes p
co cazo, E se foi a Compa E abaliro eu o depozito porq̄ a
cidade naõ quis dar as suas Chaues, e levou toda a prata
Acçaõ mto escandaloza, E em descredito da naçaõ portuguesa
tomar a prata dos Castelhanos oie e nemigos nos bos sem
ordem de V. R. Mag.de, nē do V. Rey pa o poder fazer, antes te
doa ao Contrario, auendo na tr.a outros depozitos de Portuguê
zes, os quaes pudera tomar pa a paga do presídio; toda a
Rezaõ E credito despreza, so segue sua depraueda Vo
tade, E insacianel culiça q̄ lhe tem fechado os olhos q
naõ uir o q̄ comuē a honrra, E credito, de V. Mag.de q̄ e
seu lugar esta neste estado a tropelando por tudo E po
obediencia do dito V. Rey q̄ taõ distintamte lhe ordenou o Co
trario do q̄ tem obrado
Estando as couzas dos Castelhanos neste colado esp
alidade seo tinho prezos em seus rens randonos aos Castelhanos neste colado esp
7, mais cō esses denum recusione
o Capm geral, nē a o estarē em Manila mais de hinta por
grande cantroade de ds̄, couzas todas de mta comcideraçaõ, o
grande cantroade de ds̄, couzas todas de mta comcideraçaõ, o
terminou a prendelos, se bem elles deraõ o cazsaõ a jsso,
q̄ a per ella ortinhaõ as Justicas de V. R. Magde prezos
sua Caza, por ordem da cidade, por elle dei assy Reque
ja do sobrescar em som de guerra com sodo o seu prozedio
Antes do q̄ tratou esta Cid̄ de lhe fazer alguās gra
Em portantes o ducatencias, E Varios Requerimtos a codindo
juntos, E que forma da Cidade, em corporada ao forte pa Es
de as couzas se fazerē cō mais sucuidade, e sem corrondo
naõ quis deferir como a Rezaõ o pedia tratando só mte
feituar seu parecer contra o q̄ tinha assemtado, E ass
notor da Cidade, cō todo o seu Consso de
o ui
{{PAGE:9}}
Pello prejuizo q̄ as partes Litigantes Recebem do conhairo, e pella
jndicincia grande de ellas andarē sempre mendigando pareceres
E despachos
Por hū Rumor, ou fama q̄ pella tra Corria, podebem ser q̄
dinulgada pello mesmo Capitão geral de q̄ auia nella parecia lida
em vos de Castella, e menos fidelidade a vossa R. Mag.de tratou o ou-
vidor desta cidade Diogo Vas bauaro, q̄ o Vejo a ser, por Vrcador
mais Velho, em Rezaõ desta ouuidoria estar Vaga, e faltarlhe
proprietario de terar de uassa, e preguntar testas sobre o cazo.
Elle deue dar conta a V. R. Mag.de do Effeito della, imuiando
a V. R. Mag.de pera della constar E cōsaber a verdade.
cousas de Japam estam no mesmo estado,
As cousas de Jappão ficam em o mesmo estado, E não
milhorarem pede a Cidade q̄ s. m.e mandase q̄ sera asertado lhe ua
ao Jappão enbainada
embarada de V. Mag.de pera cō ella se cōtinuar, o trato q̄ esta Cede
sempre tiuera com a quelle Reino, E de q̄ se sostentará,
mos seja V. Mag.de seruido tratar della; pello mto q̄ im
sse comercio a estes seus vassalos cō sertoza de q̄ está
se sostentaua so mtos doctratos, E comercios dezia ppaõ, e Ma-
nila sem os q̄ sera jmpossiuel com ceruarço e mambos topezõ
hū q̄ hé o dezappaõ em Respto da diuina Magde, pella preci-
panilha, o super ue do seu sagrado Euangelho, E o de Manila e moraõ de V.
infassam pade a Cadde tres vias
se descompoulo de n.to inque-
rito por lida ./. Consultarõ /.
Mag.de E como ambas seiaõ bem seruidas, da mes por molh
perdidor, estes comercios, e debra vontade padecemos a
zerias, E necessidades, que a falta delles, cauza, e to-
do nesta Re publica, E cidade, E encazo q̄ como e
V. Mag.de nos Restetua o deja ppaõ cō a sua e mo-
dimos pa o dezempenho desta Cidade tres viagēs, e o
dimtos se podera dezempenhar do mto em q̄ esta ella
njt. se mō abre o commercio de e cō os mesmos ja poes, e Por entre tantos pedim
pede L.ca a Cidade s.n na uegar pera a V. serenissima Mag.de huā prouizaõ mto de M.ce pera q̄ d.
as p.as da sala, Angello, Antugel desta Cidade se possa liuremente, na uegar pa toda
pa esta defficio, e facome nouas tradas, E Portugal, E cō as grangear
ndoms
Viagēs se auer de Remediar, emqto falta o trabadeja por
supposto q̄ cō toda balhos como cō bonanças que
nette alidade fumisa no tiraico de nor quizer dar; estamos, E estaremos, sempre mto pr
Agordecasse este 6m ansmo ao serto de V. Seremos ima Mag.de q̄ occo proxpore e gu
por largo, E filius annos, pa em paro de bodos os Va-
de V. R. Mag.de E acrecentamto de todo o Reino, e Thome
sugues, e como nos aue mos me ler. – sobscrita
mim Jacome de morais pra solffita Escriuão
Camara desta Cidade do nome de N. S.ª da Assumpção
{{PAGE:10}}
sair
nem
Assestindolhe nelle, hora uns, hora outros, moderandolhe seu
61 testemunha do Presídio o desempararam por todos os soldados do Presídio, os quais
não poderem sofrer o rigor com que os riguor comparar desta Cidade, por ia não p
trataua
elle fes pessois do contrario
soportar o Rigor, e tirania com que eram tratados dele, hora a flor
E estrô pecando uns, hora em forçando outros, sem mais ordem
delle de juizo, que sua mera Vontade, e tiranica com dicção, sup
que por se desculpar publica, e nos dizem forma papeis que estes
dados foraõ induzidos por algumas pessoas para averem de o desempa
o que nos não consta pois a esta Cidade vieram a dizer que estavam p
tes pa ser vir a vossa Real Magestade, nomeandolhe o cap.º geral, pe
que o gouernador temendo-se dos Rigores, e sem Rezoẽs que cada dia
ia com elles, a Reuando-se mais que tudo por se a Risco sem cul
Proprias a morrerem sem os Sacramentos —
Estas dauidas tem datado a pedir esta sacra
neste infe, e no do gouerno de Dom Fr.º Mesquita
As inquietaçoẽs e duuidas, passadas, entre os Padres que
deste Bispado, e commissario do Sancto officio estão de prezte quietos
seliem tão indicizas como de antes, por que como cole anno faltaram
as nouas, e nas vias da India donde com tanto aluorosso Responda
pella Rezoluçaõ, e dis dellas, o que nesta cidade não pode a
uer, ficaram as ordaõs muito em a mesma confuzaõ seguindo c
da hum ao peniaõ, e parecer o jarti, a que mais os inclina sua com
ciencia, supposto que o Cap.º Geral, por não se ver couza que não
surbe, E inquiete não fazendo estimaçaõ, da imp_
iue d’havia de fazer em sem temer dos Rigores, e sem Rezoẽs que as
religiozos respondiam ao protesto
e se dade Bp.º, e que seja cleto de
e virtude, e não religioso, e daa
m, e man / ferre cont.a
pretendeo mouer outras de nouo a jnda muito piores que as
por testos, e Requerimtos pouco acautelados, e muy escarios
por vezes mandou por escrito em timar aos Religiozos os da
Legiões, e tendo noticia que orditos Religiozos tratavam delle
ponder a seus protestos chamou de Noite o seu concelho,
clarada mente lhes disse que estava de todo Rezoluto pa em a ma
do tanto que as Respostas chegacem disparar huma pessa de co
ria, caruarar hum estandonte, e por nem em som, e ponto de gra
O que sem duuida fizera, sem se lhe dar da Ruina total da tta que
certo Resultaria de se melhante A e caõ, suas todas as ueras,
forças puviueis não trabalharamos, por que os Religiozos se
quietacem, E ecc decem de seu drto, como foreram por nossa
terceiraõ e Rogo, e que não Respondeu a seus protectos, o que e
fizeram com que parece a couza fica em paz, mas os animos muito o
Bor nos constar da Origem, de que enclumam de ordinario
pesurbaçoẽs no Ecclesiastico desta Republica pedimos as to
Real Magestade, seja seruido prouer este R.º Prelado, e pa
proprietario, o qual podendo ser comtimaremos que seja Cle
e a Cidade O auendo letrado (de Virtude, e letras, e não Religiozos de nenhũa das Religi
Como tão bem esta Ouvidoria do s. meo e in lo s.
{{PAGE:11}}
Prendeo aos Castelhanos em a vênça e çia como este conforme elles nos disseraõ, E dizendolhe a Cidade
gente: sem admittir o maõs proue q̄ sem estrompo da guerra o tinha já prezos, E q̄ se cō isso sen
e Cada de juramto pa se Curesce esta parenta delles o q̄ ma
pergun
testam
seus
com uiesse ao seruiço de V. Mg.de porq̄ constaua a esta Cidade
q̄ elles naõ Refazaraõ a prizaõ só se temiaõ lhes acontrece
o q̄ ao administrador com forme o q̄ nos dessens, nē e o tu
esto se quis contentar antes nos Respondeo q̄ nos naõ ca
ssaceremos, q̄ ainda q̄ lhos leuaçemos prezos E lhos entreguasse
mos no dito forte os naõ auia de Receber, senaõ os auia de
Lançar polas portas delle, e logo em pessoa cō a sua gente jun
ta auia de hir a sua Casa E prendebos, como fes sem numqua
os bens da Casa — pa este acto querer admitir no Ra assistençia, nē ainda no
em uentariar de suas fazendas, E bens na comfirmidade da or
dem do VRey pa assy mais a sua Vontade faz̄ o q̄ se diz, foi,
E hé publico ser lem gragē sua. os bens dos castelhanos serẽ preza
dos sua como quē entende E cuida q̄ naõ há de dar comta a quē lha
pode pedir de se melhantes Excessos pois nos consta q̄ tem man
dado dir a Justa uma neo, deue ser pa nella se hir fu
lezem q̄ por fugir nella
gindo, a comta q̄ se lhe deue pedir destas couzas como taõbē
ur salen da casa da poluera, o q̄ estar da poluera, o q̄ estar dade m
pe e seu despois o fazia
natta cō rigor aos Couzelleros e tem
nos em mudos sendo no boes, e estando
com seguro
dou Remediar fazendolhe nouas fichaduras Rec an
de elle lhe por fogo como publicaua, E ainda o pub
licos Castelhanos prezos, E xercita cada dia maior es
mandandolhes botar ferros, no forte da Guia; ten
la sua palaura, de ooster em hū comuēto por serẽ p
graues, E de calidade, E agora corre os manda pa Goa
dolhe quando os prendeo, seguro em nome de V. Ma
Vossas q̄ os informaçaõ comera e faça seu ter Respeitica taõ semter Respado
promettida em meu ultigo
rado nome de Vossa R. Magde cō q̄ artinha segur
Ceo a Clarara estas couzas q̄ os homēs amdaõ em Le
pasmados vemdo publicar cō a bouça tanto Bello e
de Vossa serenissima Mag.de, E a 1 o naõ mos
o seu Votto no concelho, e os Cos iros q̄ lhe a
n Viro e prom lhe conuersar a os seguros q̄ em nome de V. se
o escreuaõ dera del ao seguro q̄ em nome de V. se
a Magde lhe tinha dado, e ouza tanto comtra o q̄ se deue a Vo
ssa Serenissima Magde, de quem elle Se publica taõ seruidor
mas o serto Deos̄ o sabe. a s Certidoẽs e mas bom desta
teria mandamos a V. R. Magde com esta Carta —
Por hū Rumor, ou fuma q̄ pella tra corria, pode
ser q̄ diu el gada, pello mesmo capm geral em o dio deste
uo de q̄ auia esta Cidade parecia lidades em vor de Cast
toda a q̄ sere nissima Magde, Fraco
Naõ naõ vy
{{PAGE:12}}
Dou vida Diogo Vasconcelos, que o vejo a ser por Vizeador
muito velho, em razão desta Ouvidoria estar vaga, de birardeu
essa e perguntar testemunhas sobre o caso, e lhe deve dar como
capitão geral tirou de vilas e inquiridor tirando-as nomes
io as testemunhas por si mesmo, feito as leituras em queredor tirando-as no mes
e se filha muito diz velho atrás intratável
com sumário.
E assistindo pessoalmente ao perguntar das testemunhas sem do
causa com a sua assistência, a que não testemunham com liber
dade e verdade, cousa que tanto as Leis abominam em com
razão e defendem. Pedimos de muita suplicação V. R. Ma. de
o crédito de toda sua escritura, até V. Magestade
em forma do dito pacto, verdade e dorben, e
paternais olhos de Vossa Sereníssima Magestade e do zelo tão ca
tólico que em V. Magestade veneramos e servimos, esperamos obser
vação que já nos protegemos muito falidos, porém e que
seja Magestade Vossa e reine com gloriosas vitórias em bem
deste tão dito Reino e em aumento do Real estro e
coroa de Vossa Magestade — subscrita por mim Ja
co me de Morais para sêlfeis Escrivão da Câmara
desta Cidade do nome de São Paulo na China em 28
de Novembro de 1643.
{{PAGE:13}}
1435
orden por foy
R
Aos vinte de julho soltre Dom de bolsaõ
sob cargo do Iuramento dos seus foj de Maguaes
Roussesca Confulta
de que na fee accom erenissa Magestade, Rey, E snōr meu; Este
humilde Passasso obrigado do lugar que o eccupa e serui a V Magestade da
E tirou a q̄ leuio mais Remota parte do mundo; aonde o nome de V Mag.de hé a Clamado,
A telonia
Conhecido, E Reuerenciado, E suas Vitoriosas armas, estremulho bandr.as
Conheçido, E Reuerenciado, E suas Vitorias em obediençia de seu Rey, E snor̄ /. Pello
VRey da yndia conde de Aueiro depois de auer seruido a V Magestade
neste Oriente em Varias occazioens̄ em que fui recupado pello Real se
de V Mag.de com grossas armadas a meu Cargo.) me ocupou cō o lug
de Capitão Geral desta prassa taõ inportante, e obediente a V Mag.de, como n
sessaria a Conseruaçaõ della por seu opulento, E Rendozo trato, Rezulti
de grandes Vtilidades a o estado da india; Donde partido athe chegar a est
de Macao, padeçi pello seruiço de V Magestade graues Reicos E de trimentoz
sendo pilhado dos olandezes em huā naõ inglesa em que passey a es
Cidade que foi des valizada e moutor m.tos della em sua defençaõ, con
perda de minha fazenda, captiueiro da minha pessoa, leuado a ferss
a Cidade de Batavia cabessa dos prezidios que tem nestas partes, dond
pLaCLemencia de quem me Captiuou, fiquei liberto, e coLiber dad
de poder consseguir o seruiço de o Mag.do Cheguei acta Cidade, a qual a es
que he uizinha o de Manila cabessa das illas Phellipinas em deuaçaõ
de V Mag.de, e taõ obedientes seus Leais Vassallos a seu Real seruiço, q̄
saõ dignos de mto Louuor, porque como he publico por huā pequena informa
çaõ que tiueraõ da ffeliça a Clamaçaõ de V Magestade ser seu Rey, E R
de Purtugal, secu dindo o jugo de Castella e o alegres Viuas ofertejaraõ
com grandes filhos, enuençoen̄s, e inCamizadas, Iurando a V Magestade
todos por seu uerdadro Rey, e sob posto que o sr na dores della estaõ em
miserauel estado pella falta que padecem do Comercio pella quebra,
lappaõ, e manilha, que parou com a R a Clamaçaõ de Vs
D 3
{{PAGE:14}}
4
Se sustentam nas esperanças de embaixada ao Rey da China, da qual he pario, para
que forneça admitir o trato, que com elle só poderá resucitar das miserias em que
se vêm; / E com a Requesta disse se poderá sustentar os principios desta praça, que
nome delles filé de tanta importância á que basta a enfraquecer o inimigo mais
pactado, e mais vizinho, pelo que V. Mag.de por serviço de Deos nosso Senhor
E da sua Real coroa acuda, E com tempo, porque do Contrário se pode temer grandes
dannos, que com a brevidade do Remedio pode ser muito proveitosa) Quando
legittimamente a esta Cidade que foi a quatro de junho da prezente era sendo della
capitão geral Dom Sebastião Lobo pelos máos modos que teve em seu
governo, e por se haver tão moradores della lhe havia dado por tres
dias de riba do Castello de São Paulo onde Regidia bataria, e no mesmo dia
estava para tornar de novo a mesma obra, o que não teve effeito com minha
chegada, pondo tudo em paz e obediência de V. Mag.de, finalmente por o dito Dom
Sebastião Lobo ser provedor da fazenda Real de V. Mag.de, e por ter outros graves
delictos matando ao administrador da Real fazenda, e sem confiança por de
Londres delle sua jurisdição sendo freire professo do hábito de Cristo, dando
outros muitas mortes injustas ameaçando inteentes; a Requerimento de feitor de
V. Mag.de por a segurar a Real fazenda, o mandei em custodia para o forte de
Santiago da barra, athe ordem do V. Rey da India, mandando-lhe inventariar
sua fazenda que se pode achar, e como de tudo mais largo, e de fazende, trato por
capitães que em Vio ao Visorrey da India, a elles me remeto, que hé certo de tudo
dará conta a V. Mag.de, e como assy seja cesso por não ser mais largo, Nosso Senhor
lhe dê a vida deuossa Seremos assy seja cesso por não ser mais largo, Nosso Senhor
tandolhe gloriosos, e triumphantes sucessos com grandes Vizorias, e felicíssimos augm.tos
de seus Reinos gloria, e bonança de Deos nosso Senhor e Conuerssaraõ de seus Leais
vassalos
Huā Receby de Vossa Real Mag.de estando ja nesta sua Cidade de Macau
ocupado em seu Real serviço por Geral da guerra, e secretário da Corte de Lisboa 60a
m 6. de dezembro de 1642. tão cheya de bonrras, e ms, que me acho indig
io dellas; porem como saõ nas saidas do Real peito de V. Mag.de, me fica servindo
e tinha semenhas Felicidades com esperança de alcançar o premio de meus
serão etttas Ma: ao cidade do Reino da China. 8. de novembro de 1694 ā
Muito
{{PAGE:15}}
Arce
Rey, E snōr.
436 an
OS senhores Reys de Portugal, antecessores de V. Mag.es sempre foraõ Pays
de seus Vassallos, E em pazo das mizeraueis Seu uas, E assy que esta hê a rezão que
me anima a Escreuer esta a V. Mag.e a quem dou Conta de minhas Lastimas; E us.or
fui molher de Diogo Vaz freire, o qual seruio nestas partes a V. Mag.e muitos annos
gastando em seu Real seruiço o dote que meus Pays lhe deraõ comigo em Caza mēto.
Em a era de mil seiscentos e quarenta o mandou o Gouernador da Índia António Telles de Menezes a China, por Administrador da fazenda de V. Mag.e a qual era
muita, E de muita importançia dos Rendimentos das viagens de Jappão, e de Manila,
E exercitando seu officio com muita verdade, e limpeza, como hi no torio atodo mūdo
o prendeo Dom Sebastião Lobo, General daquella praça, por naõ uir nos Roubos, E falçi
dades, a que estaua acustumado a fazer este fidalgo; E a principal era que mandan
do os V. Reys da Índia pagar duzentos soldados de Soldo, na que lla praça aseis
patacas cada mes acada hum soldado, elle as Recolhia em sy, ficando o prezidio de
V. Mag.e sem gente, que alem de ser grande Roubo era tambem treyção; E como meu
marido não ueyo em esta maldade, E em outras que elle estaua acustumado a fazer
o prendeo, como asima digo, mui afrontozamente E o meteo nuā logea escura, com huā
grossa cadeia nos pês, naõ no deixando falar com ninguē da onde apenas pode dar Con
ta a V. Mag.e pello Cappitaõ António Fialho, E na mesma hora que o prendeo entrou na
Caza d.o Administraçaõ que hera a mesma de meu marido, E a saqueou de tudo, o que
nella achou meu, E de meus filhos, naõ deyxando nem papeis de Reçeitas, e despezas da
fazenda de V. Mag.e E depois de o por nesta mizera prizão oito mezes se foi a elle huā
noyte com os de sua Caza o matou, apuros a çoutes, negandolhe a comfissão, E pella menhã
o mandou botar a porta da miā. a donde chegou o pouo a uer o lastimoso espectaculo,
que este mao fidalgo fes em meu marido, E Administrador da fazenda de V. Mag.e
o qual tinha acabeça em dous pedaços, E o corpo chego de as outes, que por m.tas uezes
{{PAGE:16}}
lhe tinha dado: e Mag.e seia seruido pellas chagas de Christo de acodir pella honrra
deste seu Sassallo, pois por Zelar seu Real seruiço ueyo a cabar taõ afrontozamente. Lem
bro a V. Mag.e que os V.Reys da India, como taõ longe de V. Mag.e naõ fazem Iultiça as par
tes, E assy que se me fora Licito passar a esse Reyno o fizera, pera me deitar a esses Redos pês,
pedindo como peço Iustiça sobre Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo, pois me matou meu marido, por
fazer o seru.co de V. Mag.e deyxandome pobre, E moça, neste Oriente sem emparo mais que
o do Ceo, E o que me for dado por V. Mag.e a quem o s.or Deos acreçente auida com prosperas
uietorias, para em para da nação Portugueza & p.a Goa em 18. de Nour.o de 1644
dona Francisca Sacramento
{{PAGE:17}}
Prel. Ioa Vinda nogalia d̄ Sto Lo
Os Andre salem alcr de faza Ree
Sor̄
Sesta Barra onde asisto ha quatro dias no despacho do Galeão São Lço, que se faz
a Vela a Manila pravendo a Deos̄ para esse Reino, me deraõ se a carta e papeis dos oficiaes da
Camara da Cidade de Macau, que vaõ neste maçete; E por a materia que contē importar
tanto o seruiço e fazenda de V. mgde, e dizer a aquella Cidade mandar outros duplica
dos a mezada fazenda; me pareceo mandar estes nesta via, pera V. mgde e mandar
prouer no caso como for seruido.
Deste Excesso, e doutros (posto que naõ taõ atrazados) que se ordina Mentecometeo nestas
partes contra a fazenda Real, e do pouco ou nenhum caso que se sobre isso costuma fiz
em seu fauor, naõ sò tem nassido o estar taõ atrazada; mas de naõ auer que a defenda
e correr tudo o em que be parte es dezemparo que noutras occazioins tenho Representado
a V. mgde, Cuja Real pessoa q̄ de Nosso Sor y os largos annos.
A Barrado Esca a 21 de Janeiro de 1645
testas
Andre Molez
{{PAGE:18}}
Nóres da mesa da Fazenda Real de Goa.
R36A6
Docto que os ministros da Real Fazenda, que Sua Majestade nesta terra
terão cuidado de dar a essa mesa dela conta daquilo que está a seu cargo, pareceu
vía a este tribunal desta cidade, que devia dela também a V. Senhoria das diligências
que este ano fes, para segurança daquilo que D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira
da Rente tomou sobre si, ainda que surtiram umas nenhuma, e outras pouco
eficazes. As quais diligências foram, que requeremos ao capitão-mor La
Carvalho de Souza, e ao padre Manuel Fr. Gouveia deste Bispado, que
dessem ao dito D. Sebastião, para que não fugisse, como se presumia, para cima
sem dar contas, e pagar ao Real Aver o muito que se dizia, e era publicamente
notório lhe dever, como constará de um papel de requerimento, e prisão.
Sobre isso lhes mandamos intimar, e eles devem mandar a V. Senhoria razão
o qual papel mandamos ao nosso V. Rei, por conter mais outras muitas, e que
culpas do dito D. Sebastião, de que damos a sua Excia. ali informação.
Com o Feitor António de Aguilar o Zorio fizemos para o mesmo fim
mas diligências de palavra, e por terceiras pessoas, e ele acudiu bem a elas.
Todas as quais foi preso, e fica o dito Dom Sebastião, com os bens, e
sua casa se lhe acharam inventariados, e depositados, como os sobreditos
capitão-mor, Padre Gouveia e Reitor avisaram a V. Ms.:
—
Depois, correndo fama, com muito fundamento, que de mesma
maneira tratava o mesmo Dom Sebastião de fugir, fizemos outro requerimento e por testa-
mento escrito, e autêntico também, aos ditos Capitão-mor Geral, e Freitor para que pois estava
em parte menos segura, o mudasse a outra, que o fosse de todo, e tratassem de
apreender, e inventariar, e depositar seus bens, que estavam, e estão sonegados: re-
cusaram-no fazer, contentando-se com lhe dobrar as vigias na mesma prisão,
fazer um Requerimento muito leve sobre os ditos bens ao Pe. Reitor da Companhia em
cujo colégio sabe toda esta terra está.
O Requerimento e protesto, que fizemos ao Reitor, m.
a V. Ms. justificado, e outro papel dos dar
{{PAGE:19}}
o dito Dom Sebastião, afora os que Vs. Ms. saberaõ por outros papeis dos mi
nistros actuaes, e dos que o foram estes annos passados. Pam bem mandamos a Vs.
Ms. hum escritório, que os Off.°s desta Cid.°e o anno passado escreueram ao mesmo
Dom Sebastião pedindolhe, que soltasse, ou, pozesse em hum dos fortes desta pra-
ça, ou em hum conuento de Religião, ao Administrador Diogo Vaz Reyre, que
tinha cruel, e indignam.°e prezo em huā masmorra de baixo descus pès na caza
onde Viuia, e offerecendolhe sinco mil pezos de fiança a bonada, se alguā couza
deuesse à fazenda Real, e naõ o quis soltar, nem tomar taõ grande segurança, sò
pollo matar, como matou com suas proprias maos impia, e inhumanam.°e. Manda-
mos mais a Vs. Ms. a copia do Ouro protesto, que o P.° Rey Bento de Christo Capucho,
sendo o anno passado Gou.°r deste Bispado, e conselheiro da dita Fazenda Real, fes
aos officiaes desta Cid.°e nossos antecessores, sobre a segurança della, pois Via, q̄
este fidalgo a consumia, leuado deseu bom zelo, e por obrigaçaõ de seu titulo
de conselheiro dito, pello qual protesto elles nada obraram, e deuia ser por es-
tarem certos, que o dito Dom Sebastião naõ daria lugar a isso. Petodos os quais pa-
peis VS. Ms. Veraõ q.to os ditos officiaes p.tados desta Cid.°e e nos, e o dito P.° Prey
Bento obramos p.a bem da fazenda de sua Mag.°e e o nenhum effeito, que nj
uemos, nem nos, nē elles, por elle D. Sebastião aquerer ter em sy, e cou bo
A que elle tem de seu, he m.ta pois se sabe passa de sem paens
e de dez mil patacas para, afora valia de mtas. mais em viquas faz.°s. P
ou, amor parte consta as claras estar no Collegio da Comp.°a por onde conuem,
se se ouuer de tomar p.a sua Mag.°e Venhaõ ordens muy apertadas no cazo, mande-
do se embarguem os bens, que a mesma Comp.°a aqui tiuer, que saõ mtos ate entreg-
os dito D. Sebastião. E bom sera mandaremlhes Vs. Ms. là em bargar as a-
deas destas Prou.°as que sò com estas meyos sepodera conseguir o dito fim.
Quando prenderam ao mesmo D. Sebastião, foy descuido dos ministros
elle
da faz.°da Real, naõ assegurarem logo q.to em caza tinha, por que dilatando a mes-
prizaõ huā tarde com escuzas sobre ella ao Cap.°m geral, naquelle meyo tempo ma-
dou da dita casa p.a o dito Collo a Vista de q.tos alli se acharam, tudo o precioso,
comsigo tinha, como consta, e depois naõ quizeram os P.°s (nem o mais, que là tem
seu, e lhe recolheram o an̄o passado a Vista de toda esta terra entregallo ao dito Fei-
tor, q̄ lho requereo, como acima dicemos.
O que se achou em caza do dito D. Sebastião, foy mto. dos Castelhanos,
que elle lhe auia furtado, com capa de o confiscar p.a sua Mag.°e mas tudo muy pou-
co p.a o mais, que lhes roubou, e tem desen. Em lhe naõ assegurarem o que em caza
tinha odia, que o prenderam, naõ teue o Cap.°m Geral culpa, pois só aprizaõ lhe
requereram os ministros da Faz.°da de sua Mag.°e e essa mandou fazer, que se
a segurança desens bens lhe requeressē, tambem o faria. Mas elles daraõ ra-
zão a VS. Ms. do por que lho naõ requereram entaõ, se bem nos sim, lho reque-
rêramos acabado o que desta mater
{{PAGE:20}}
nos parece a Vizar a Vs Ms, cujas illustres pessoas gde
e 3. de Nouembro de 1644. Annos Refael. azias de M
e escriuaõ da camara desta cid.e de São Paulo, a sobescreuy
Manda da Benção
Franco Botelho pra
mendes Cordovão
ar Vaz Teixera
{{PAGE:21}}
430 At
tr.a
Frelado do Requerim.to do Pe Gou.or fr. Bento
de X.o aos off.os da Cidade sobre a faz.da Real
Frey Bento de X.o da Sera fica ordē dos Capuchos de scaluos da s.ta Prou.a
da Madre de Deos̄ de Goa, gou.or deste Bispado da cima, pello illustr.o e Re
uezendiss.o snōr Dom frei fran.co dos martires Acobispo de Goa, Metropo
litano, e Primaz da India &r.a como conselhr.o que sou nesta Cide da me
za da Caz.da de Bey nosso snōr Dom Ioaõ o P.o de Portugal (que Deos pro
pere muitos annos) e como eu lobeigado em consiencia, e honra a procurar todo
o sumento Licito della, por todos os meyos honestos, que me fora possiueis,
cacuitar da minha parte qualquer perdas que entender podera ter a mes
ma Real fazenda, ou por qualquier caminho, que seja, julgo diante
do mesmo Deos, que a terá de prezente muy grande, se o Capitam Geral desta
praça D. Sebastiaõ Colo da Syluêra continuar (como até agora indeuidam.te
continuou) cō administraçaõ della, depois que injusta mente prendeo, passa
ja de boam annos, e matou a troz m.te ao Administrador da dita faz.da Real
Diogo Vaz freire, nay em seis mezes, sendo aprencipal o rigo de o pre
der, e matar na forma dita orançoe entrandauel, e o dio figadal, que a dito
Capitam Geral he cobrem, por elle dito Administrador lhe naõ consentir meter
a maõ na mesma Real fazenda com perda considerauel della, como por Vezes
aintentou meter Coque tudo a Seu tempo constará de papeis autenticos onde
comprir) sendo tambem elle Capitam Geral conselheiro da dita meza da fa
zenda Real desta dita Cidade, e por esso deue tratar de seu acrecentam.to
e declarar todo o menos cábo della, que lhe fosse possiuel, o que naõ fes, esque
cido da Obrigaçaõ de ministro della, antes por sua culpa há padecido a mes
ma Real fazenda muitos danos, assim na de que se entregou indouidam.te
por morte do dito Administrador, Leuantandosse a mayores com o cargo da
dita Administraçaõ, naõ o podendo fazer nem lhe pertencem do exercitallo, e o
mo pella ruim dispoziçaõ della, que todo este anno teue (o que tudo tambē
constara, quando foi tempo nos Tribunais a que conuiers. E porq.to depuz te
se entregou mais o dito Capitam Geral a força de muita cantidade de prata,
ouro, e outras fazendas de Beys Hellippe X.o de Espanha, e de seu
Vassallos os Castelhanos, que aqui actualmente estaõ (como he notorio
a tal entrega) naõ lhe tocando por nenhum titulo, senaõ a Vs m̄s. snorēs
Juizes, Mercadores, e Proc.or desta Cidade, aos quaes o sor̄ V Bey Conde
de Aueiras acometao por Carta particular, que Os mis pera isso de sua Excel
lencia tiueraõ, e a elle Capitam Geral sem.te a forma, e modo do dita entrega,
que era depositado tudo inuentario do em maõr de Cidade se
guros furiguos, e abbnados. E alem disto pretende elle Capitam Geral gas
tar de seu moto proprio, e só por sós parecer, e querer ta a dita prata,
ouro,
{{PAGE:22}}
tr.o
Ouros e fazendas por mão do dito Capitão geral, se pode com m.to fundam.to presu
neve grande dano da fazenda Real por não ser fiel a ela, se a dita prata, fa
zendas, couzo, sconueria de confiscar para El Rey nossos nōr, ou se ouverem
de tornar a seus danos, pagandosse seu valor da mesma Real faz.da estando gasta
das. Portado o qual, em descargo de minha consciencia, e honra, e comprim.to
da obrigação dita, que tenho por conselheiro da mesa da fazenda Real desta Cid.e
e por entender, que assim he serviço de El Rey nosso senhor Dom Joaõ o P.o e do dito Snor̄ V Bey, e peza que não aconte
ça vir este miserável pouo, e V Sm. com elle apagar do seu asperdades q̄
a dita fazenda Real tiver especialm.te no tocante a dita prata, ouro, e fazendas
de El Rey de Castella, e de seus Vassallos? peço e Requeiro a Osms Mores̄
Juizes, Vereadores, e procurador desta dita Cidade em nome do dito Rey
nosso senhor Dom Joaõ o P.o e do dito Snor̄ V Bey, e dos ministros da
mesa Real, da fazenda de Goa, que logo procure cō effeito, que se abra a
via de Administrador, que dizem há, e se lhe entregue toda a fazenda R.l
que se achar, não permitindo, que o dito Capitão geral corra mais com a ditta
administração della. E outrossi peço e requero a Os mis, do mesmo modo, q̄
procurem, que effectivamente desista elle Capitão geral da dita inde
vida entrega, em que esta, da dita praça, ouro, e fazendas de El Rey Felipe
pe, e seus Vassallos, e tudo entregue a Os mis. para o depontarem em mais
de pessoas seguras fizej, riq̄ as, da bonadas, com comprim.to da dita ordem do
snor V Rey, sem consertirem secreto cousa alguma de dita prata, ouro,
e fazendas, e digo dem a viso a sua excellencia para mandar o que mais
conuier ao serviço de sua Mag.e E assim mesmo peço, e requero a Os ms.
que o Lugar do depósito, onde ajam de estar a dita prata, fazendas couzo, dos
Castelhanos não seja o Colégio de Companhia de Jesus, aonde estão somente as di
tas fazendas, que dally o cue mandar tirar porque como he casa grande
e de Religiosos, que não podem Vigiar, nem defender o dito depósito, podera
haver nelle algum furto, em dano da faz.da Real, como já houve em can
tid.e de mais de três mil réis da dita prata, dos mesmos Castelhanos
nelle estavam depositados, como hé notorio. O que tudo peço e Requero a V ms.
na forma dita por Ser cousa certa, que o dito Capitão geral não hé pessoa
fiel para por si só administrar a dita Real fazenda por se saber não
ser fiel a ella Como fica ditto:) nem a bonada p.a estar entregue della
de depósito dos Castelhanos, por não ser decredito nisto de fazenda, pois não
mercador a bonado nelle: nem segura, por não ser casado na terra, e
ser solteiro, sem bens de raiz nella que se possa ir fugido, cada vez
que juizer, como será delle o faça, pelos crimes e normes devazias
que lid.es, que tem cometido, e são notorios, do que ia fui auisado, por
pessoa mais graue, e decredito: nem rique, porque por muito que tenha de seus
não pode aterceira parte de fazenda Real, e dos Castelhanos, de que
está entreg. Alem dicto ou ser pessoa poderosa, como fidalgo, q̄
he, e estar do afabanda Trace muita intia, e estar criminoso
em V.
{{PAGE:23}}
tr.o
Em Varios Casos atrozes, que são publicos, e alguns dignos de perdimento de seus bens.
E mais peço, e requero a V. ms. que lhe peçam, e façam dar fianças grossas, e a bonadas a todas as pessoas faltas e menos Cabos da fazenda Real,
que se lhes prouar ao vertido, e tiver ao diante, ter por sua Culpa de Contia, e quina lente a toda fazenda Real, que em suas mãos tem em trado
e do dito deposito dos Castelhanos. Não fazendo V. ms. tudo isto assim como
de seu bom Zelo da Segurança da Real fazenda senão espera) lhes
protesto por todas as perdas, e danos della, que tiver por causa do dito Capitão geral, em qualquer das cousas referidas, p.a se auerá pellas
pessoas, e bens de Os mis. ouvidos, e por auer: os q.es requerimentos
e protesto faço a V. ms. em toda a melhor forma de direito, que deuo
e posso, a qual aqui hey por impressa, e declarada. E deste papel
dos ditos Requerimentos, e protesto me fiza original justificado, p.a
mandar a El Rey nosso snōr, e ao s.° Bey, Câmara
geral da Real fazenda de Goa, camde mais cumprir, as
sim pera meu descargo como pera a todo tempo conste desta
minha diligência em bem da fazenda de CBey nouo s.r que tam
acriscada está em poder do dito Capitão Geral, e neste risco sós V. s.
com a authoridade e potestade de seus officios, de manda da Real
a podem, e devem assegurar, pois não ha nesta terra outras justiças
de sua Mag.de a que Eu pos natur dança. Finalmente
fazer, e de esperar usasa fé da perigo natur dança. Finalmente
mandamos a frco montr.o homem escrevão deste nosso juizo Ec
e lhço que lha em pessoa intimar este nosso papel dos ditos requeri
mentos e protesto aos snorēs officiais desta Cidade Gonçalo da Silua
e Vasco Barboza de Mello Juizes ordinarios, Diogo Vas Bauos
Ouvidor, e Vereador mais Velho, Antonio Galvão Godinho,
e Marcos Botelho Pre.a tambem Vereadores, e P.o Alures
Pinto Procurador sendolho todo de Verbo ad Verbum, e com sua
Resposta nos torne em modo, que faça fé. Macaé. 26. de
outubro de 1643. annos — frei Bento de X.° governador.
T
Frei Cado do termo da intimação.
Aos vinte e Seis dias do mes de outubro de 1643, annos nesta Cidade
do Nome de Deos na Comarca. Eu escrevão abaixo nomeado por mā
dado do muyto Rdo P.e Governador fr. Bento de X.° na Caza da
Camera desta Cidade &.a E beindo nella de prezente, ouu.or
e Vereador Diogo Vas Bauos, Cos Juizes ordinarios, Gonçalo da
Silua
{{PAGE:24}}
tr.a
Da Sylva, e Casso Barboza de Mello, e Procur. p.o Alures Pinheiro
to: a todos elles juntos, intimai outra via de protesto da parte
do dito sr. Gou.or que em tudo hé semelhante a este segundo
atras, e acima, de que dou minha fé passar na Verdade o qual
ficou em poder dos ditos off.ºs da Cidade, por bem do que fiz este
termo de intimação. Eu Fran.co Montr.o homem Escriuão do Ec.
e lhço, que o escreuy & qual protesto, e intimação Aqui
se tresladar hum, e f. d mte sem acrescentar, nem diminuir couza algũa que deuia da faça da propriez
e Riginari a que me reporto pello que aues se pode e deve dar inte fé, e eu Dioem juizo, e fiz este como se
xaria aos proprios e Riginarios se apresentassem fossem
E Vai com certidão com outro official asinado no Com
certo macar em 4 de resto de 1644 ao no Colar
o fiz escreuer e sob cresto del Rei o nome de Joaõ
Colao d̄ Azo
te
Comcertarão e nos affinador
Manoel Roiz̄ manço
Ioaõ Perez
Colao e Azo
{{PAGE:25}}
a de donora de diaz de caenene
de nogaliaõ Solo
Muy Alto E Poderozo Rey
E senhor Nosso.
1.o uido he sette
AHU
144 as
Os Officiais q̄ o Anno passado de 1642 Serviraõ nesta Cid.
Este o arão na administraçaõ, e gouerno publico della, e menio
zotempo, por sua e nossa bra serte chegou a esta terra a Verit
za noua da feliça aclamaçaõ de Vossa Sereníssima Magestade, e de su
toza Recuperaçaõ em seus Reynos, E o Rados, Larga, E defoza me
E ainda por Rellaçaõ marítima feliçarao o commio a plauzo, e ger
a legria, e gosto, com q̄ de toda esta cidade, e seus moradores
Vossa Real Magestade, obedecido, E aclamado, na hora e naõ taõ
noua se diuulgou, por Vnito, E Verdadeiro Rey Nosso, e p.
uerçal senhor desse já dito o Reyno seu, e nā há tanto Ir
tiranizado, e juntamte o prazer, E fidelidade, cō q̄ foi de to
Em geral o sereníssimo Princepe senhor nosso, q̄ Deus por su
gos, e felices annos e o Venturozas Glorias, e melhorados sucess
propozo e guarde, Venerado, e jurado por Vniuersal herdeiro, E V
socessor de Vossa Sereníssima Magestade cō o q̄ os q̄ de prezte nos oc
mos e moscu Real seruiço assistindo ao gouerno desta sua
da camara, E Cidade, em temdemos q̄ naõ comunha tornaraõ
agora de nouo a manifestar o mto q̄ estes seus Leais Valhalos qu
nestes Vltimos fins̄ do mundo, E longes delle, se auenteiaraõ e
Solennizarē com taõ claras mostras de amor, E fidelidade este
soberano successo, contentandonos só mtas com darmos a Vossa Sn
al Magestade conta mto por meudo, E com a Verdade q̄ a taõ Catho
lice princepe se deue, do estado prezte da tra, E sucessor della des
em q̄ comessamos cō esta nossa Ocupassaõ, e gouerno, cō certe
za temos de q̄ Vossa Sereníssima Magestade sera seruido Remediar
o q̄ por algū e a minho, ou de alguā maneira possa prejudicar
bem, com ceruacaõ, E augmento desta Cidade
no ē
Rez
E mo Pro Lugar se nos offerece tratar das couzas E q
no sette an. qual de algus̄ mezes ante
i em sette an.
qual de algus̄ mezes ante
{{PAGE:26}}
prendeo em hum gudom
7 ao administrador da fazenda real
hus, que entre ambos ouve
nha No forte em que Rezide prezo em hum podaõ, e com machos e
nistrador da fazenda de Vossa Real Magestade Diogo Vas Freire Car
ro de habito de São Paulo por de saberes que entre si tiverão, e por cousas
que Recrecerão de algumas duvidas que se moverão, E de que o cap.m Geral
vedar em tudo por interoconta, E satisfação a vossa Inquisição E crer que no
pareceo perecerião as couzas desta administração e o afalta de sua
assistençia a ellas, e mo pro dia dia de nosso gouerno, e do mes de janeiro
acudio esta Cidade em corporada ao forte de São Paulo em que o Cap
Geral Rezide, E em nome de Vossa Real Magestade lhe pedimos, e com todo
lhe aConcia em confissão solteira em o menos quando achace que com jn
de 50. mil passagens ao dias uitador, as os obrigações de seu officio, ou ao menos quando achaçe que com jn
resse aprezentem em ven fate, em auto o tiuesse no forte daqui na barra, ou no collegio
zea publica com terra do que souesção da compa, ou no tronco publico temendo nos de sua má naturaza
no juis fazer.
cante uendo o que sucedeo a francado com huã frança de Sincoen
ta mil rabaicas que offerecia en segurança de toda, e qualqer quebra,
e falta que ouuesse na Real fazenda, E de que a todo tempo constar
o a alguns meses o matra as penjues. e que naõ só mte naõ quis fazer, mas vejo a mattar algũs mezes de
negandolhe a confissão en mais saba por que a recida mto lhe pedia mandando juntamte
taõ lhe dera, de negandolhe vigoria, e cruelmte os Sacramentos, e ainda
o da Confissão que em carecida mto lhe pedia mandando juntamte
enerte e em mao que teraia ao adui
gioce _ do dessoces destas mates
E se andalo, E Resentimento de toda esta cidade E Povo, Acção de que
sudar saber façaõ a vossa Real magestade como taõbem dos Rego
E couzas da administração da fortaleza de Vossa Real Magestade qu
por sua mão corrē
Depois desta naõ me nos dezastrada que injusta, e se
tida moeste de Diogo Vas Freire se achou o cap.m Geral taõ ar
item que hauer de dar fogo a poluara, e assim com esmo forte está, e com tantas ueras pe
ntendeo que o faria: e p.a o dianti um gra louco, E como tal andou publicando que pertendia dar que
is joute o illo
a caza da poluara que nomesmo forte está, e com tantas ueras pe
necessario hirmos ao collegio de São Paulo da Lernos do Re
delle, e pellas cazas dos homẽs de Respeito pedindo a todos
Religiosos como se culares quizerẽ asistirlhe, e ter maõs
cobrouandolhe taõ inico intento, diligas que fizemos as
Rezaõ de nosso cargo, como taõbem por Noto Requerer
frei Bento de São Paulo, gl̄z deste Bispado dizendo nos sabio
queria o Cap̄n geral D. Se Bachaõ Lobo da Silveira p
za da Poluara com que a brazaçe toda esta Cidade a
mos de serto ter o dito Capm geral chaues falça
poluara & que se fes se bem o padre Reitor do Collegio
naõ quis fazer sem que pro lhe dessemos m
peti
mo fizemos assin
is de dous mezes
{{PAGE:27}}
Em linte oito de Nouembro de i64
{{PAGE:28}}
Plar Cos Botelho p.a
Clo
De Vasbanoro
he a scobárbo sa de mello
{{PAGE:29}}
1835
Preslado de hum escrito q̄ acid.o passa da mão dou
ao P.º Reytor da Comp.ª de Jesus, Jp.º do Amr.º
Suposto q̄ Estauā escus. adjuntos tiuemos noticia q̄ V. P. senão queria meter nos me q̄
do capitaõ q̄ pa Rezoins q̄ p.a isso tinha V. P. com tudo nos pareceo serē os preztes de cali
d̄,o q̄ faltariamos ao seru.iço de Ds.º e de sm.º el Rey Dom João 4.º nosso s.º se p̄ todas as
Vias lhe naõ bascacemos os meyos e caminhos q̄ mais se aiustaçe ao seru.iço, do dito s.º E a
ssy nos Rezoluemos, conhecendo ozello e Religiaõ de V. P. e de toda a Comp.ª de Jesvs, pedir
a V. P. pello q̄ deue ao Seru.iço de Ds.º, e del Rey, e ao bom cōmu, e conseruação desta sua cid.ª,
Visto o perigo em q̄ deprez.te estâ com as meassas q̄ dizem, faz o capitaõ gl.º depor fogo a
Requerimto
caza da poluara como a V. P. hi patente, de q̄ nas fizerão Requerimto; q̄ a seu tempo mostra
remos, o q̄ agora p̄ o nistid., naõ declaramos, e q̄ entendermos almportancia deste neg.º, e q̄
hi gūe o farā com mais zello e prudencia, como comūe ao Seru.iço do Ds.º e de sua Mx.ª e anthorio,
e conseruaçaõ do capitaõ geral, e a segurança desta cid.ª q̄ taõ atemoriz.da está com o Receo
da caza da poluara q̄ V. P. o queira tomar a sua conta, o faça nelle o q̄ mais uir, comūtar:
Seru.iço de Ds.º e de sm.ºs, a qm.º V. P. fará grande seru.iço e estauā mto nr.º q̄ protestamos
Reconhecer em toda a ocaziaõ, ou. Ds.º a V. P., a je domīgo a tarde dous de Mayo de seis
contos e corenta e tres ā. Dioguo Vas bauoro, Antonio galuaõ gl.º, Marcos botelho pra., Vas
co barboza de m.to gonçalo da silua, Pedro alues p.Lo yoão Vas pr.to, M.el de magalhais cou,
An.to doliur.a aranha, pero Roiz̄ teixra, com fece o escrito atras cō hum original q̄ os off.es
da cid.ª e a djuntos escritos na uolta desta meja folha estaõ asinados sem acresentar no de
menuir couza alguā q̄ duuida faça, p̄llo q̄ a este se pode e deue dar jntra fû E credito co
mo se daria ao propio o Riginal que foi mandado pellos ditos offes ao R.do P.º Reytor
da Comp.ª de Jesus, E uay concertado cō outro offiçial asin.do no conserto sobjuram.to de meu off.o
Eu Antonyo Valente p.ra escriuaõ da ouuidorya q̄ o iustifiquei, Macar em dez de mayo
de seiscentos e corenta e tres ā. concertado p.l nos off.es asinados no conserto, An.to Valente
p.ra M.el godinho Collaço.
Treslado da Reposta do P.º Reytor.
São as Rezoins q̄ VS. SS. me propoem pa o q̄ pretendē taõ forçozas, como a justa das
cō o seru.iço de Ds.º, zello do bem comū, e del Rey nosso s.º Dom joaõ 4.º e q̄ isso me Rendo
de todo a ellas deix.do p̄ hora a Rezuluçaõ em q̄ estaua p.a outro tēpo, e procurarey dami:
nha pte p.a p̄ todo o cuidado e meyos q̄ puder p.a com o feito seruir a V. S. Ms., e a toda essa
cial, ass. nosso s.º temos ia no pro lugar, a cudido cō missas, E oraçoin̄s elle cuidhe
o neg.º no sem caminhe e ajude p.a q̄ seiamos cō o q̄ pretendemos elle pa a V. S. Ms. por
{{PAGE:30}}
Clara
Clara
Largos Ca collegio oje Domingo, Gp.ª do amro; o qe bescrito e Reposta a que se tresladou
bem e fielmente sem acresentar nem demenuir couza algua q̄ duuida, faça dos propios
os Originais (p) ordem em andado desta nobre elcalud̄). a q̄ me Reporto pello q̄ a estesse:
podē e deuem dar inteira feê e credito em junto e fora delle, como se daria aos propios se
aprezos fossē, e vay comserto. cō outro official asin.do no Comserto. Macao Vinte E seis di
as domes de Ant.o de mil e seiscentos e Corenta e Cyatro ā hu nicolao de az.o Escriuaõ
p̄ S M.er q̄ o fis esCreuer e sob esCray Nicolao de azauto.
Preslado do Rellatr.o q̄ o soff.es da cid.e do anno p.do
mandaraõ a Dom sebastiaõ lobo da silueira sendo cap.to
gl. desta praça
Suposto q̄ as prouizoẽs dos sorē V. Reis e gouern.dores da Jndia nos mandaraõ expressamte, de
mos e o fauor e aiuda aos administrad.os da fr.ca R.el pa seruirē seu cargo Reimpedimēto
algum, e tratarē da administração da dita fr.ca q̄ só a elle cometerão prohibindo a q.el q̄
outro Ministro superior ou jmfirior, o poder semeter nella, nos com tudo não quizemos Vzar
do poder q̄ nos dauaõ a ditas prouizoẽs assy q̄ euitarmos duuidas q̄ o entendimēto dellas.
podia cauzar como p̄ querermos obrigar a V M. mais com sumiçaõ, e como de mtos. de seus ser
uidores q̄ p̄ Via de jurisdiçaõ fomos todos os off.es desta cid̄. q̄ este anno de seiscentos E
corenta e tres seruimos q̄ pelouro, sesta fra pola menha dois do prez.te mez de Ian.ro ao forte
licto.
donde ē Rezida e lhe pedimos m.to q̄ mr.o e q̄ Ian.ro no lo que zece fz.or mr.o mandar soltar, ao
administrador da fazenda R.el Dio Vas frei e, q̄ V. M. tem prezo nosso forte, e hum godaõ
senaõ q̄ Pello Resp.to q̄ se deuia a hū ministro de sua calid̄, o quizeçe meter, e hū conuento.
q̄.l VSIl mais leuace gosto, prezo cō os machos, e q̄ estaua, ou no forte da barra, ou no denoua
sorā da guia, ou no Tronco de S Mx.a, e q̄ sobre tudo daria de uinte atho sencoēta mil par
daõs de fiança depozitaria a senão auzentar do Juizo e q̄ V M. apuzece prezo, cō o q̄ ficaua
Elle mais seguro assi pa crimes seus tenha, como pa Cobrança da fazenda Real, se he q̄ Deuia
alguā Ves Respondeo q̄ a mor molestia q̄ lhe podiamos dar, hera falarlhe neste neg.o
no q̄ dissemos a V M q̄ naõ tinhamos tençaõ de no lestar a V M. nē agora, nē nunca e q̄ falla
uamos nelle p̄ entendermos, e supormos, seruiamos nisso a s M.e del Rey Dom yoão 4.o nosso
s.or q̄ Ds̄ p.a o sacisfz.m sempr.e a sordes̄ do s.r V Rey o gour.dores, terçando cō V M. sobre hū
min str.o de s Mo.l q̄ Ds̄ vs. em tre o q.e e V Ill, há tão pouca afeiçaõ como a esperiençia tem
{{PAGE:31}}
mostrado, e a tantos annos, e q̄ pella mesma causa, lhe naõ estaua a V. M. a conto p̄ sua
m.ta fidalguia a tello prezo em seu poder, pois auia fortes de S. M. e q̄ podia estar se
guro o muito mais cō a abonada fiança q̄ lhe prezentaua, V. M. naõ quis condesender ho a
yusta petiçaõ desta cid̄. e sô nos disse q̄ a passaria p.a outra casa terrea nomes mo forte,
E se quizecemos, q̄ lhe largaria V. M. as casas e q̄ Viue, e q̄ V. M. se hiria p.a o godão on
de elle estaua, ou p.a a casa terrea q̄ V. M. nos oferecia, o q̄ naõ ascitamos p.a nos naõ es
tar a cōto a conssecaõ de V. Ill. pois nos negaua o prinçipal, e o q̄ hera mayor do seruo, de
S. M. q̄ Ds̄ g.e casey nos achamos obrig.dos a mandar a V. M. este Relati.o de tudo o q̄
se passou neste neg.o, da q̄ nos fica o treslado justificado p.a a t.do o tpō mostrarmos as.
M.to q̄ V. Ill.s, e a seus ministros superiores, o q̄ na matr.a obramos de q̄ naõ espera
mos Reposta porq̄ não hé nossa tençaõ, andarmos cō V. M. cō protestos, q̄.o o R seia m.to
neçessr.a de s. M. q̄ Ds̄ V.e e so pretendemos neste dar noticia
se Cumprir, o q̄ se tē paçado nelles, Eu Ant.º Valente p.ca esCriu.o da Ouu.
mto do da Camara a sobscreuy em sinco de Ian.ro de seisCentos E Corenta
e 43
Dioguo Vaz bauaro. os q.es escritos e Relatorio aquy se tresladaraõ bem
e fielm.te por mandado dos officiaes desta muy Leal cid.e e vay em serta
com o Juiz ordin.ro gp.ar Vaz teyx.a gaquy se aseriou comigo em 30 de outub
del 642 Rafael Azias de Morades alferes e escriuaõ da camara desta
oid.e do nome de deos na cheria o fez escreuer e sobescreuy
gde Vaz teixra
Raphael Azias de Morades
{{PAGE:32}}
Tnº
Meza 410
parece
ao 21. de Mço de 1646
Auendose iusto neste comisº, os Papeis que de nouo vieraõ
da cidade de Macau, em tezaõ do cazo de Morte, sosedido
a Diogo Vaz Freire, daõ digno de castigo, e exemplar, e a
hũ Criado seu que ambos matou, Dom Sebastião Lobo da
Silveiras com tal escandollo, que merece o maior, e
mais de mostratiuo Castigo que se possa, e hũa petiçaõ
que neste comto. se deu por sua parte
Pareceo a Salvador Correa de Sá, que se execute
E se naõ alteze, aos dé, de V. M.ª que foi o anno pa-
ssado que Dom Sebastião Lobo viesse, achar Reino com
sua fazenda, donde merecē do castigo, Imagem mā
dará, Castigar porque tem por sospeitoza, as Informa-
çoẽs de Dom Sebastião Lobo, e das pessoas de Macau,
E ao comtrº Parece que não paça do constou nelle
Prepapeis, e deuas que viueraõ, e por testemunhas de vistas
que neste Comisº se tiraraõ que Dom Sebastião Lobo,
tendo governo de Macau, por differenças que teue, com
Diogo Vaz Freire administrador da fazenda de
V. M.ª de fidalgo de sua Casa Cavalleiro do hábito,
de Cristo, sobre materias de seus foros, o prendeo,
na fortaleza donde, açessia a donde o mattou, por
syy mosmo. Compantadas q̄ se lhe uiraõ, depois de
o Lançar em hũa Rua publica para della, o Leuarē
Clemtorrar, E naõ só mattou, a elle, senaõ a hũ,
Moço que o siruia seu, e ambos sem Comfiçaõ
o qual delicto, elle comfeçou fazer Portantta
sua EsCritta, asineg.e no quitoca a morte de
Diogo Vaz Freire e dandose conta, almaga, e
o anno Passado Por Consulta deste Comisº
Mandou V. M.ª de que elle viesse preso a este
Reino, E que se lhe esCreuesse seus bens e
se lhe contregasse, e nas cartas q̄ vieraõ, este
{{PAGE:33}}
João Carneiro de Montalvão
Primo, a creu queixa da mulher do morto
a V. M.ª guerrendo, o Mizarau
1
e que ficara, de pobreza, e sã, e seus filhos, com
de seu marido, e assi também, aceuerão, caitas e se
uaçaz da cidade, em que se queixá dele, da dita
de despender fazenda de V. M.ª que se queixa dele, da dita
E que escrever diara a cidade com grande mi-
de se por dezemtodos, pelo que parece ao
que V. M.ª devem andar de novo, que o dito, q̃
Sebastião, venha preso na forma, dar resolu-
ções de V. M.ª e q. que foi já à Índia o ano
do E q̃ os bens que V. M.ª mandou que por escre-
lhe entregaua se devem sobrestar, e que fique, C
tade del Rey: de portitados em mãos de pessoas
nadas; e a outra metade, em sua, para que em c
que se aya de dar satisfação à mulher do defun-
to lhe dee, juíza, entregue ao Mestre do navio
navios juízieren, e me sua Comp.ª e mando
escrever à mulher do morto, mande a este Re-
quezer, a satisfação da morte de seu marido, p
que nelle lhe mande V. Ill.ªs fazer justiça e
toda, a demonstração de vida. dis o mal escrito Venha
E que o viso Rei mande de vassar como se lhe
mandado, em nome de V. M.ª g.ª e como grão
por ser Comendador do hábito de Cristo, e que a pre-
saõ se passe, em nome de V. M.ª q̃ como grão
tre, e seja por pessoa eclesiástica o V. Comendador
dandom de xpō, Lisboa a 10 de maio de 1603
for gee la Rey Inquisidor
Ao Guile
João Delgado figo, Chaluador cor-
jbra
{{PAGE:34}}
Índia
Do Conselho Ultramarino
1646
sobre Amorte que deu Sebastião Lobo de Almada, Lugar-tenente
que foi de Maguã, Adio Vaz, Frei Cristão,
seu senhor, fisco
{{PAGE:35}}
sobredorães Aluão Cobo
Clo.
Lugue foj de Macau
Paulo de Paulo Robello
11381
{{PAGE:36}}
Senhor.
Sendo V. Ill.ª em forma do emcomo Dom Sebastião Lobo
da Silva, Capitão-Mor da Cidade de Macau, tinha preso
a Diogo Vaz Freire, Cavaleiro da Ordem de Cristo, Admi
nistrador da fazenda Real e Viagens de Japão; ouve
mistrador
Em grande por seu serviço mandar por Carta de 16 de outubro
de 1643, que logo o soltasse; avisando ao Admi
nistrador, Câmara de Macau, Caõ o Rei da Índia, desta
ordem, e as te que por Dom Sebastião ter acabado o seu
tempo, e pedir sucessor, lho mandasse, e que ele se
viesse para Goa, cim mediattamente nomeasse S. V. Ill.ª se
hú ministro de toda a confiança e satisfação, que fosse
Deuassar das competências, que entre ele e o dito Admi
nistrador houvera; para que aprezada a Verdade mais ex
actamente, fizesse castigar quem o mesquinho
estando este negócio neste estado, e sendo certo Dom Sebastião Lobo,
entre outros particulares, à Img.ª em carta de 20 de outubro
de 1643, que ele matara brevemente na prisão ao Admi
nistrador, sem forma de juízo, por convir assim ao crédito
del mes. de Nação Portuguesa, seguiança da qual
Cidade, e salvação da sua Vida, nomeando na mesma car
ta testemunha de sua defesa ao Sargento-mor Roque Dias
Coimbra, alegando juntamente para o mesmo efeito, o caso
de João Pereira Cortes Real, que vindo da Índia matara três
homens sem causa alguma.
E prosto que esta confiança por si só era bastante para se dar
{{PAGE:37}}
Rio
gue
Rio
L.
idade
isto
seis annos
Conta a Inq.ª; Comtudo, Pareceo ao Conselho naõ a
dar semprimro. approuar a Verdade por todas as Vias
possiueis; e as testemunhas seguintes que
sendo perguntado pello cazo, e Refferimto. que nelle
fezera o ditto Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo; Respondeo der
tro deste Cor.o, E uelle matara na prizaõ q̄ fezera
em sua casa, ao Administrador, sem ter nenhuā das
Causas q̄ ella tta na sua carta, E que esta morto fora
mto sintida, e estranhada por todas as tas ptes. e Cidade
Como o Reua em tudo o maes o proseçe dimento de Dom
Sebastiaõ Lobo.
Com este ditto e confiçaõ do mesmo Dom Sebastiaõ,
Reçeo ao Conselho das Contas almgd.ª, deste taõ a
Zolazo, Como fes por Certulta de 17 de nouro.
E q̄ hera necesro; e muito Conueniente ao seruir a V.ª
e boa administraçaõ da justiça, Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ, abomzecado, para este Reino, nas primras. embarco
çaõ que de Macau, ou Goa Viessem, que nesta Çidade
Deuassasse desta morte, dos maes livres q̄ se emqetaõ,
a Dom Sebastiaõ, o Dez.or António Veliszo de laures
e na outra o ouuidor da mesma Cidade.
foi Vn G.ª seruido Responder a Cons.da acima Refferida
o seguinte.
Como parece, Quanto a Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo
da silu.ra, e se lhe escreua a faz.a, incuiandosse o in
uentr.o del capor Rás, centregandosselhe; E p.a o Cazo
Cada
{{PAGE:38}}
6
6
bo
60
8
Rez.
Lxa 6.
Rezaõ
in Carta
Luís de Bello
Em q̃ naõ seia chegado o Capitão Geral, servia no entre-
tanto, o Ouvidor, o Sargento-Mor, e o Vereador Mares
Velho, Lxa. 17 de janr.ᵒ de 645. Reys.
João Menses
Acreço de nouo, Que a Câmara da Cidade de São Paulo
a iuza a V. Mg.ᵈᵉ por Carta de 28. de Novr.ᵒ de 643. pe-
dir a Dom Sebastião, que mudasse a Cuzaõ do Gudaõ
em q̃ tinha com machos ao Administrador da faz.ᵃ
Real, por Competências de Jurisdição q̃ entre ambos
havia, pa hu dos fortes da Cidade, ou p.a a Cadea p.ᶜᵃ, E
q̃ se lhe parecia que elle deuia alguā cousa à faz.ᵃ
de V. Mg.ᵈᵉ, o soltasse em fiança de cinquenta mil pa-
taças, E que a nenhuā desta propostas lhe quizera
de-
dessim, antes da hy a alguns mezes, em huā noite o
matara as pancadas, negandolhe os sacramentos que
encareçidam.ᵗᵉ lhe pedia, a qual morte fora tintida
L
cidua da dita dos naõ las p.tes e cidade.
puzaõ,
E Lq.na o contente dem se bastiaõ Com esta morte, dera
Garrette a hu moço q̃ terminao Administrador na
prizaõ, Do q̃ se Recebera no tauel escandalo, e Cin-
tinha
timto no Pouo, e Cid.ᵉ; E depois destas mortes, se
fingira dondo, Dizendo (e asej se entendia q̃ fazia) q̃
hauia de por fogo a caza da polura; Em tanto que foi
necess.ᵒ assistirem com elle por tpm̃ᵒ de dous mezes, o
Destar da Comp.ᵃ contra pessoas graues, p.a o deuir
tirem deste seu jntento; Entendendossem a es, q̃ taõbem
o tinha, depossar a Jucatará, e dalj ao landa; E
{{PAGE:39}}
Respondeo q̄ esta prezo pa sa
de
inq.
Ricto
por lhe dizerem q̄ huns religiosos com quem andaua em
competências, de terminauão responder a hum
protesto que elle lhes mandou intimar; assentara
em certo, que se o fizessem, hauia de desparar huā
peça, as boias huā banda, e por testemunha de Guena;
peça, as boias huā banda.
luis auiza almgde
Em Resaõ do q̄ a Rogou da Cidade, se a estiueraõ ao Les
Clo
religiosos de responder.
Junho do mesmo
O Capitaõ G.l leis de Camalho, q̄ se suscedeo no
lugo, auiza almg.de por conta de 8, de nou.o do an̄o
passado de 1644. Que chegara a Macau em 4 de
julho do mesmo anno, e q̄ achaua q̄ do Sebastiaõ
Lobo, tinha dado, do feito de saõ Paulo donde viu
Lobo,
portres dias, batteria alidade; E q̄ no mesm
declarar G.e degara, queria dar outro; E q̄ por
culpa, e pela morte do Administrador, e por
outras m.tas injustas os tinhaõ dos inocentes,
por asistir requerer o feitor da Fonseca, o mandara
prezo em custodia, pa o forte de sanctiago, Jnuenta
riandolhe sua faz.a, e de tudo mandar pessoas e
a inqor ao V Rej da Jndia.
Dona Fran.ca Sarr.to Veuua do Administrador, se
queixou a ensig.de por larto de 18 de nov.o de 1644
da morte de seu Marido, relatando q̄ do mes e bastiaõ
o teuera preso, e meteo em hua logia os bem aÇom
huā prossa a do barros peis, sem o deixar falar com
nenhuā pessoa; E com os desualazia, licados, E
{{PAGE:40}}
ano
Rio
ide
8
Luis
Escrauos, e nhũa Noite o matara a preços assoutes, naõ
o deixando confesçar, mandandoo lançar depois de
morto no adro da sé, onde ao outro dia o paulista
cebora aquelle taõ lastimoso espectaculo, e que
por Sebastiaõ lhe matara seu marido, por elle
lher ao concertor q̄ tomasse p̄ si os toldos dos solda-
dos q̄ naõ hauia no presídio. E que no dia em que
prendeo a seu marido, lhe dou bô e as suas cazas
e toda quanta fazenda nelle hauia, assistia a de seus
filhos, como o de Vas. S.a, a quem pras chagas de
Christo pedia Justiça contra Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo; q̄
com a morte de seu marido a deixar só pobre, e
desamparada, sendo moça, cantos Ria, e que nhũ
remédio tinha mais gô de os escrep.a
11
A Câmara da Cidade de Macau deu conta ao
Conselho da Fazenda de Goa, por carta de três de novembro de 1644,
que V.a da fazenda da presa inimiga almg.e
na dia do Gallicão São Lourenço, das muitas diligências que
fizera p̄a segurança da fazenda Real, que Dom Sebastiaõ
Lobo tem em si indicidamte; e da sua pessoa, por naõ
estar em prisão segura, mas q̄ uai teueraõ mto. pouco
effeito contra Nenhũ.
Affirma mais a carta nesta carta, que tudo o q̄ se achara
em casa de Dom Sebastiaõ, fora dos Castelhanos, a quem
o hauia furtado com lapa de confiscaçaõ para a Coroa
{{PAGE:41}}
ser contra a Rosa Mastrido muito pouco, para o m.to q̄ lhes Roubara,
Silva de Seu
e tinha de seu
indo prezo no carcere de seu Rado seu
tem carta de 25 de
in carta de 25 de
o Condetuuras a uiza a v m.e em carta de 25 de
diz: de 1644, em Como Diogo Vaz Fieiro morrera
de sy de 1644, em como Diogo Vaz Fieiro
diz
na prizaõ em q̄ staua a maõ dos Cafres de Doleba hiaõ
inqores a denūciado sobo, tem Confiçaõ, nem lhe darem lugar a fazer
Lobo, tem Confiçaõ, nem lhe darem lugar a fazer
Nenha acto de Catholico, Vindo a para
testemunhas de de, as depoenças q̄ hauia entre elle, e do testiaõ,
E prometeo cūprir
Nenhū acto de Catholico, Vindo a para nesta Cruel
E quis do Checostaua da carta do mesmo Dom
dia; e seis tas a elle, como a V Rej das dias; em
sebastiaõ
por ella preza Confeçaçaõ escritas a elle, como a V M̄. de São Ortecen
e
por procedir com os dar a matar, E que o modo de São Oite esc
L
todos; E que da causa que para ella auera se fa
quisiçoẽs, e tiraua Deuassa, p̄ se procedir com
de sincoenta rs̄ funçaõ.
idade de idade de idade subiecta
de 9. annos
instruio.
inquirir e se lhe desse por proposiçaõ de seu maria
L. de 1756 annos a esta cidade que o escreui
per
Juliço.
Com que pos a sua maõ e sob cargo do que prometeo pro
gos este Reo pelo seu Rogo estaua a maõ dos Cafres de Doleba
E que mto a R. se asigne a ditta Carta a maõ disse ser
Clo
{{PAGE:42}}
AHU
Snōr.
Sendo V. Mg.de informado, em como Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva,
Capitão Geral da Cidade de Macau, tinha preso a Diogo Rães, fr.e
Cavaleiro da Ordem de Cristo, Administrador da fazenda
Real e Viagens de Japão; ouve V. Mg.de por seu serviço man-
dar por Carta de 16 de outubro de 1643, que logo o soltasse;
avisando ao Administrador, Câmara de Macau, Ca-
pitaõ Geral da Índia, desta ordem, e acto, que por Dom Sebasti-
ão ter a cabado o seu tempo, e pedir sucessor, lho mandasse,
E que ele se dissesse para Goa, limme diatamente nomeasse o
V. Rey hum Ministro de toda a confiança, Estrifação, que
fosse devassar das competências que entre elle, e o Adminis-
trador houvesse, para que apurada de toda de muy exacta-
mente, fizesse castigar quem o merecesse.
Estando este negócio neste estado, escreveu Dom Sebastião
Lobo entre outros particulares, a V. Mg.de em carta de 20 de
outubro de 1643, que elle matara brevemente, na prisão, ao
Administrador, sem forma de juízo, por convir ao crédito de V. Mg.de, honrrada Nação Portuguesa, segurança
daquela Cidade, e salvação da sua vida; nomeando na
mesma carta, por testemunha de sua defesa, ao Sargento-mór
Rogo Dias Coimbra, alegando juntamente para o mesmo effeito
o caso de João Pereira da Corte Real, que vindo da Índia matara
três homens, com menos causa.
E posto que esta confissão possa do exame bastante para se dar
conta à Inq.da, contudo, pareceu ao Conselho não dar
{{PAGE:43}}
Semprem.te apparar a Verdade por todas as Vias possiueis;
P
a este fim, e hamou ao Sargento mor, Que sendo preguntado
pelo Cazo, e Refferim.to que nelle fezera o ditto Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo;
Respondeo dentro neste Conselho, Que elle matara na pução
que fezera em sua caza, ao Administrador, sem ter nenhu
ma causa que Rellatta na sua carta, E que esta morte fora muito bom
tida, e estranhada por todas aquellas p.tes e Cidade, Como o hera e
tudo o maes, o prosçedimento de Persebaltiaõ Lobo.
Com o te ditto, e confiçaõ do mesmo Dom Sebastiaõ, de
Conselho das contas a V Mg.de deste tardastimozo Cazo
por Consulta de 17. de Nouembro de 1644. E que hera nec
Emuito Conueniente ao Seru.o de V Mg.de, e boa admi
nçaõ da justiça, Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ, a bom Reca
este Reino, nas primras embarcaçoẽs, Que de N
Viessem, E que nesta Cidade Deuaçaue desta morte;
Crimes que se imputaõ a Dom Sebastiaõ, o Dezembro
Antonio Vellozo de Caceres, E na outra, o ouuidor da
Cidade.
foi mg.de seruido Responder a Consulta açom
o seguinte.
Como parece, Quanto a Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo da Sil
ueira, E se lhe escreua a fazenda, e nuiandosse o Jnuentr.o
della por Vias, Centoe gadosselhe; E para o Cazo em q̄ naõ seja
Regado o Capitaõ G.l, Sirua no entretanto, o ouuidor, o
sargento mor, e o tercador maes delho, Lxa. 17 de janeiro
de 1645 / Reys.
acreçeo.
{{PAGE:44}}
8
bo;
3a
saõ
Ioaõ
Clo
Auzeu, de Nouo, Que a samera da Cidade de Machado aiu
Za a V Mg.de por carta de 28 de Nou.ro de 643., pedir a
Dom Sebastiaõ, que mudasse a prizaõ do Gudam, em que
tinha com machos, ao Administrador da faz.ª Real,
por competências de jurisdiçaõ, que entre ambos hauia,
Para hu dos fortes da Cidade, ou para a cadea publica, E
q̄ se lhe parecia que elle deuia alguā couza á fazenda
de mg.de, o soltasse em fiança de Cincoenta mil patacas,
E que a nenhuā destas propostas lhe quizera deffinir, an
tes, dahy a alguns mezes, em huā Noite o matara as pan
cadas, Negandolhe os sacramentos, que encarecidamente
lhe pedia; a qual morte fora Çintida, e chorada de todos
Naquella sp.es e Cidade;
E que naõ Contente Dom Sebastiaõ Com esta morte, dera
garrotte a hū moço q̄ se uia ao Administrador, na
prizaõ; Do que se Recebera Notauel escandallo, e senti
mento no Pouo e Cidade; E depois destas mortes, se fingira
Doudo, Dizendo, Cassis se entendia que o fazia) Que
hauia de por fogo á caza da poluoza; em tanto, que foi
Necessro a uistirem com elle por tempo de dous mezes, o
Restor da Companhia, Contras pessoas graues, para o
diuistirem deste seu intento; Entendendosse
maes, Que taõbem o tinha, de passar a sacatará, e daly
ao landa, E por lhe dizerem q̄ huns Rillig.os Com quem
andaua em competencias, de terminauaõ Responder
Inquizisto que elle lhes mandou intimar; assentara
{{PAGE:45}}
Iozeph
Em Conselho, que se ofezessem, hauia de desparar huā peça,
Clara
Aruorar huā Bandeira, e por sse em som de Guerra, em caza
boque, a Rogos da Cidade, se abstiueraõ aquelles Rilligiosos
de Responder.
O Capitaõ G.l Luiz de Carvalho, q̄ he sucessor de o no Cargo, a
a V M.de por carta de 8. de Nouro. de 644., que chegou
a Macha em 4 de junho do mesmo anno, e achara pro-
sebastiaõ Lobo tinha dado, do forte de saõ Paulo, onde di-
por tres dias Battaria á Cidade; E que no mesmo em q̄ elle
Capitaõ Glegara, queira dar outra, E que por esta Culpa, E
p̄la da morte do Administrador, e por outras m.tas injustas
q̄ tinha dado a Jnnocentes, e por assy lho Requerer o fez
da faz Real, o mandara prezo em Custodia, para o f-
desano trago, e nuenta irandolhe sua faz
das a papeis, e auizo ao Rey da Jndia.
Dona fran.ca Sarmiento Viuua do Administrador,
queixou almq.de por Carta de 18 de nouro de 644, da ma-
de seu Marido, Recllatando, que Dom sebastiaõ, o teue
prezo oito mezes em huā logia obscura, Com huā gros e dos
nos Peis, Sem o deixar fallar Com menhã pessoa, E com o s.or
de sua Caza, Criados, e Escrauos, em Rua Nate o matara a
peros assoutes, Naõ o deixando Confeçar, Mandando o Len-
çar depois de morto, no aduo da see, onde ao outro dia, o Pouo
Vira, e chorara aquelle taõ bimozo espertaculo; E que Dom
sebastiaõ lhe matara seu marido, por elle lhe naõ concentir
E tomasse para sy os soldos dos soldados, q̄ naõ hauia no Prezidio,
E que.
{{PAGE:46}}
8
o sor.
Lourenço
ir
E que No Dia em que prendeo a seu Marido, lhe Roubara as
suas cazas, e toda quanta fazenda nellas hauia, assy sua, e descursos
Como de V Mg.de, a quem pellas chagas de Christo pedia justiça
Contra Dom Sebastião Lobo, Que Com a morte de seu marido, a
deixara só, pobre, e dezamparada, sendo moça, e antes
Rica, e que Nenhũ Remedio tinha, maes quo da de de Mgde.
A Câmara da Cidade de Macau, deu Conta ao Conselho da fazenda
de Goa por carta de tres de Novembro de 1644., Que o Recebedor da fazenda
Geral da qualle estado, enuiou a V mg.de na Via do Gallicão São
Lourenço, das muitas diligências que fezera para segurança
da fazenda Real, Que Dom Sebastião Lobo tem em sy, indiuidamente,
e da sua pessoa, por naõ estar em jnza segura, mas q̄
huãs teuerão muito pouco effeito, Contra outras
Affirma mais a Câmara notacarta, Quem do q̄ se achara
em Caza de Dom Sebastião, fora dos Castelhanos a quem o ha
uia faztado, Com Capa de Confiscação para a Coroa; mas tudo
muito pouco, para o muito q̄ lhes Roubara, e tinha do seu.
O Conde Aueiras auiza a V mg.de em carta de 25 de Dezembro
de 1644., em Como Diogo Vaz freire morrera na juzaõ em q̄
estaua, a maõs dos Cafres de Dom Sebastião Lobo, sem Confi
ança, nem lhe darem lugar a fazer nenhũ acto de Catholico,
Vindo a parar nesta Cruchdade, as dezaccinças q̄ hauia entre
elle, e Dom Sebastião, E que isto lhe constaua das Cartas do
mesmo Dom Sebastião Escrittas a elle, Como a Vizinho Rey da Índia,
Em alguas das quaes Confeçaua, juntamente, Recomen
dara matar, E que o modo desta morte
E que
{{PAGE:47}}
Da causa que para ela ouviera, se fariaõ inquiriçoẽs, E
Da causa que para ela ouviera, se fariaõ inquiriçoẽs, E
de idade de idas e se proseçaõ com o fosse ser Com o fossesse de como fosse sacerdote
O Pe M.el de Sto Antão de Nássa, e Jorge de Como fosse sacra
tiraua Deuassa, filha, catholica, filha.
tiraua Deuassa,
Anto Roiz̄ de Andre de Travaços, e Jesus Çeder com o fosse sendo nosso e sa
de idade de idas, e ida de meza, e se faziaõ inquiriçoẽs, E
Mel de Souza, Bertonio de Souza, Reis
de mil setecentos e seis annos
mesmo artigo por a mão dito
Clo 26 de 7bro de 1764
Re a nossa snr̄a
indo seus erros
Em o dito assignara ella ouviera, te faziaõ inquiriçoẽs,
Ser lhe lembrado o não disse ser verdade e ter sem
Em o Processo de Capta de Capta de nação de São João
mesmo de lixa nos estaos
o escreui
Lxa nos
na carta do seu officio
Lxa nos
Trindade
de 1711 annos 1777
mesmo artigo
616
Anto Roiz̄ de Andre de Braga
a este
anos
anos
a escrevi
de manoel de carvalho
1
o segredo
1
1
1
1
mel de souza, e seu dito estpublico
CLo
CLo
111
{{PAGE:48}}
20
2
P.
1646
Conta
P. a Julia da Correa de Sá e Queiroz em Recife e sendo
altera ao dou da R.
o ano próximo e q̄ da silva
lobo Vinsa este R no Conselho
o ano pro do Sebastião
Obrigado Nós. o mandara Vizar
meu senhor
por herejes teza a informação E da substituição E
das ofícias de maguão
E ao Conselho p.a q̄ o comp.do se sostentescava por papeis
E dizerei que vieram E por testas ditas
por pajoeis
tiraram que densebrho lobo sem as demais não por defezer foi
para admoestado de provar. E fidalgo
da sesma desta E Cavalo da lista do seu sobredito
q̄ teve em dir val
e fidalgo
matérias de seu filho o prendeo na fortaleza
dade. a sesma admoestou p̄ Lx.a mesmo Con prancias
que telhenino de pois de o lar para em huma Rua pública
por dille o liurem de taterno. E não só. matou o de
senaõ
tezem
o escreui
da dita mage
da dita mage
o escaldilir e menos de pertences
E dando-se q̄. a R. da Santa Marta
ficam
forte ao fisco
de
sertefico e
do ter
q̄ elle uio sepreceo
anno de idade
do ter
lhe enuerar seus bens e felhe entregasem E messarses
Mardos e R q̄ elle uio se preso
que uierō este como a Cresco qde da mãe de morto q̄ pede
anos filho a Representando o miserauel estado e q̄ ficara
de polura ella e seus filhos Amette de seu marido
E assim tambem a Cresceram sertas E de Vasas da fidade
em õ se queixam delle a despacho de fora sen preza des
da dita mage
{{PAGE:49}}
E que escorvará dará assim dado congo risco
de sepós de carta de
pelo q̄ para ao Conselho
que ter dúvida muita de novo que o dito doutor se botir
Um suplício ne forme da resolução e acha ela q̄ foi
que
João de janeiro
e que os bens q̄ trouxera
que por escrito se lhe entregassem se devem-lho custar
e que lhe for feita a metade deles depois todos
contra
com as pedras almadenas e a outra metade do
perguntas q̄ se há de dezassete sessões
metado
Vossa contra sua administração de novo
cassia Capitania
Em resto arto lhe convém a mulher de
morte mor este Rmo Requerimento a tanta faco de
grata disse Nicido pa seu nela sendo sofese João
E em toda sem nome de vossas como testemunha
E R que o veja mande de vossas como sabe ter mandado
ca nome de V. S. lxa como grau mte prisão comendo der
do hábito de Cristão e que escreveu se passe e estamdest
como grau. mto escusa por peça e repetição ou
comendo donde a dezoito de Dezembro
João
frco
Pay
ta
{{PAGE:50}}
Apetição
de dom Sebastião Lobo e papéis
que com ela ofereceu se deram ao Conde das Serroas
por ordem do secretário
{{PAGE:51}}
foi levado o corpo do dito administrador a hum Jgnês e Jurão muitas pessoas que
ouviram que tinha o corpo todo mordido e a cabeça partida e machucada chamaram o lho culido fora disseram e a ixa do dito resto
certo o inventário fez o capitão Jerônimo requerimento a Francisco Carvalho Araújo e a
Luís Botelho Freire que como nomeados nas mas pelo viso Rei na sucessão do dito
25
do vaz pera o ofício de administrador que qualquer dellas, honeste entregue dos ditos
papeis e fazenda e por tem hum dellas o que ver fazer o dito Capitão geral tomou
passo despapeis e fazenda e dahi por diante certeo com a administração
{{PAGE:52}}
177
Da devassa que o ouvidor de Macau tirou da morte de Dom
Vaz Freire, que El-Rei Nosso Senhor mandou tirar como Rei,
consta o seguinte:
No limpo que dão se bastião Lobo foi capitão-geral da cidade de Macau; servia tão
bem Diogo Vaz Freire de administrador da fazenda Real. Contra eles houve dúvidas
e diferenças, de que resultaram grandes ódios, como foi encontrar-lhe o administrador que não cobrasse soltas fantásticos de seus criados e escravos; aportou bem o dito
capitão-geral pertencer que o dito administrador não provisores em terrais que mandava
ua amenossias os feitores que villas livravam também de capitanias por diferença má,
e como capitão-geral pertencia o promotor das quais cercegos e também porque mudando
o dito capitão-geral sançou hum bando para que tiveram do pouo saíram de casa do admi-
nistrador alguns soldados que quebraram o tanto e deram bofetadas em quem o san-
gria, de que se seguiu entre ambos o dito capitão.
Em execução disso, nos dias mandou o dito capitão-geral prender ao dito administrador
e preso o mandou meter em huma logia em Munda do Capitolo com grelhos nos pés;
ele mandou fechar huma fresta com que ficavam escuras e sem claridade alguma,
e corrigenda ordinária de soldados que o não deixavam falar com alguém e ocasi-
tavam geral por hum buraco que tinha na sua sala lhe diziam e faziam muitas afrontas e é
fama pública que também lhas mandava fazer por seus escravos.
E logo no mesmo dia em que se fez a dita prisão foi com as justiças a caso do dito ad-
ministrador e lhe fez inquirição de tudo o que nelas achou, e do fato que tocava
ao administrador fez depósito no seminário dos padres da Companhia e para sua casa
levou todo o mais fato e papéis pertencentes à fazenda Real e entregou todo o co-
bre ao mestre da fundição; e antes que o capitão viesse fazer o inventário teve
lugar hum filho do administrador para irar da dita casa livros, papéis e ou-
ro e outras cousas que foi depositado no convento de Santo Agostinho.
Foi feita a dita prisão em 12 de outubro de 1642 e nela o teve com notáveis
cepertos até quatro de maio de 1643; e na tarde dista dia é fama por brua e car-
sante que tringuem contradis e o mesmo capitão assim o confessa que foi a dita lo-
ge com os seus cafres e que à poder de pancadas que deu no dito administrador o
matara e que pedindo confissão lho não quisera conceder e que matara hum mo-
ço que o servia por lhe dizer que o deixasse confessar e porque movido das crueldades
com que o matava se deitara chorando aos seus pés e em efeito matou e ain-
da ao administrador companhia das que lhe deu com o bastão e ao moço com gairo
te que lhe deu.
No 2
{{PAGE:53}}
no 2o
24
e sendo leuado o corpo à Igreja viram as testas da deuacão que ouuiraõ
que tinha o corpo todo mao e cheo de nodoas e a cabeça partida e machucada
cada e hum olho cahido fora de seu caixado do rosto
feito o inuentario fez o capitaõ geral a Franca Carualho Aranhe e a Luís Botelho
Frois que como nomeados nas vias pelo Viso Rey na sociedade do dito administrador
que qualquer delles tomase entrega dos ditos papeis e fazenda e porque nenhum deles
quis aceitar o dito capitaõ tomou posse dos papeis e fazenda e fiquou correndo com
a administraçaõ de tudo.
tendo noticia que hum pajem que lhe auia fugido para Manila esta
em certo lugar distante sim ligor de Macau elle o mandou buscar e sendo
lhe trazido logo logo que chegou lhe mandou dar garrote com mta precauçaõ
de sendo o pajem que trazia papeis do comissario de Manila pera os dar ao
comissario da Inquisiçaõ que estaua em Macau e o capitaõ naõ lhe deferio
antes com mais instancia mandou que sahisse e cabasse de dar o garrote e affirmaõ
algues destas testas que o pajem lhe auia fugido com medo do dito capitaõ por auer dito na cide faltas suas tocantes com que se com
foi fama que mandou matar a Rui Vaz Peixe pela Ronda com a
qual se encontrou huā noite na qual desappareceo e ha outros indicios vio
Contos da dita morte
fama publica que mandou matar a hum soldado castelhano por faltar
por tempo de dous dias noue gia do castelo e que Rafael de Torres o matara
por mandado do capitaõ
enforcou a Paulo Nunes porque estando por ferir hum soldado com hum
baston com que lhe assinou
enforcou tres moços catiuos por fugirem
Deu garrote a hum seu bicho
mandou dar garrote a alguns moços seus e deputados
Mandou enforcar muitos soldados e escrauos
de todas estas mortes naõ ha autos e occupaõ de seu poder absoluto sem interuir
caõ de iustiça e mandou matar
{{PAGE:54}}
Consta da residência que se tirou
do capitão Jerônimo de Siqueira o seguinte:
1110
Prendeu a Diogo Vaz Freire por dúvidas que com ele teve sobre a fazenda Real,
de que era administrador, e o teve preso em ferros afrontosamente em hua loja
chã de um mundícu, e depois de notáveis vexações que lhe fez, o matou
cruelmente e tomou sua fazenda e ficou com a administração da fazenda
Real.
Afrontou com feios e injuriosas palavras ao ouvidor, o qual em razão
disso deixou de vir e não quis mais escrever.
Mandou por força soltar os presos que os juízes ordinários tinham
mandado prender.
Prendia a quem lhe parecia e não os soltava sem lhes dar
dentrão.
Prendeu a João André e por força lhe tomou muitas peças de seda
de valor.
Tomou a Bento Álvares hum escravo por força e lho não quis pagar.
Tomou a Álvaro de Sousa hum peço de berbem que lhe não quis pagar.
Prendeu a João Álvares por lhe não querer dar hum pedaço
de calanta.
Não pagou o que tomava nem os empréstimos que pedia.
Emforçou alguns homens sem confiança.
Mandou buscar hum criado seu que lhe havia feito atraso, e o prendeu sem foro pa ou logo.
Havia fama que fizera chaves falsas com que abrira o almoxarifado de polvar,
e que dela furtava e levava.
{{PAGE:55}}
O que consta da residência que se teve ou
do procedimento de Sebastião Lobo da Veiga
é o seguinte:
que no tempo em que houve verdade sobre se abrir a eleição do sofíner que estava
sexta no Anno de 1660
{{PAGE:56}}
Admiçaõ terada pelos interrogatórios de que o primeiro he do
furto da poluon fol. 2 e por prouisão folh. 1 que manda
terar de uasa de morte de Po Vaz̄ freire coque coassa
dade uaca he
4
No 5a
auendose de publicar a aleiçam do sofinars da camara que estaua feita no Anno de 1644
tratou o capitaõ geral da quala cidade de anular por sem barpos com que ueo por escrito
fundados em que ouuera nelle mto soborno e tendose asentado em camara que a dita
eleiçam se naõ abuse a senaõ de ferir aos ditos embargos
e tendo cous noticia do dito e sento se foraõ em o tina dos com armas a casa da camara
e por força e uiolencia e criraõ espertas e que braraõ o caixaõ em que estauaõ os
pelouros e publicaraõ a elleiçam de que vi sultou que esto magado o dito som sabesseõ
de se publicar a dita Messa contra o seu parecer e por outros em contrasque ouue com os
soldados da prezidio Maridou pecar hum sino asom de guerra e pos baudeira na
fortalesa e por infantaria no pano do muro do forte e por espaço de tres dias mandou des
parar a estelleria sobre as casas dos moradores da cidade parecias da dita eleiçam e mendendo
a hum capitaõ com 17 homens e bonis de poluore que se fose matar no forte do saõ frco foraõ
4
rebendo pelos pareciaes da eleiçam comforce de mosquetaria que ouue de parte a parte de que
resultaraõ fermos e por o dito dom sebastiaõ continuor em todo o dito tempo em disparer a dita
artilheiria ueo o Reitor do colegio da companhia com os antissimos sacramto em hua custodia
de baixo de palio a pedirlhe que parese com o dito castigo e por naõ querer uir nisso tirou
o dito Bertor da costodia o santissimo e com elle nas maos lhe pedio o mesmo e o dito dom
sebastiaõ mandar que parese a artelharia com condiçaõ que o pouo lhe entregase
o forte de saõ frco que tinha ocupado e os que foraõ autores proncepees nestes ex
cissos saõ as seguinte
Jacinto Goteiros de Brito
Anto da Costa Benn cheo
Joaõ da Costa seu Jrmaõ
Rafael Aeres de Moradas
Pero Roiz̄ se que
Tristaõ Tauares
Lourenco Mendes Cordeiro
Luis Tauares
Dos Cardoso Socres
Na o cassaõ em que emacaõ ouue discordias entre o comicario do santo oficio e o gouer
nador do bispado se tomou por conseruador por parte do comissario gouernador de bispado
a hum religioso de santo Agostinho prior do seu conuento e auendo de uisaõ entre os
moradores daquelle cidade se aiuntaua mta gente aposta da dita comunha e por _
{{PAGE:57}}
1311
o capitão gual algum desmencho por huns serem da parte do comissário e outros per parte
do governador do lisbado por todos estarem com armas mandou dito dom sebastião aloscar
a entelharia pera o dito convento para os aquietar mas naõ consta que nesta ocasião
para aquela parte se desparase pessa algua
na ocasião do motivo que safes sobre a publicação da devassaõ Mandou dom sebastião
Colo fazer e haver com que abrio a casa de poluora pera na qual o casião se ualer
della e fazendo os oficiais da camara diligencia sobre a dita poluona acharão
que faltavam sem boios de poluora mas naõ consta que o dito denunciado dom sebastião a furtase
estando presos alguns homens na cadea por mandado da justiça o dito dom sebastião
os mandou soltar por franco barro de lima capitão de infanteria e soldados que levou
estando na cidade de macau hum japaõ de camboja que trouxe manila o dito secreto
o protesto e amisade que em terceira casa mas naõ consta que por esta causa se tinham
quebrado as pazes e a mesa de que veia com o rei de qualla reino
{{PAGE:58}}
11o 6
de pois de neste Reino se ter sua Mga aclamado por Rei della soseda uirem
de Manila alguns nauios com castellanos e chegando a Paullo a cidade Macaõ
o capitaõ geral com os uereadores delle lhe socrestaraõ logo uinte mil patacas que
lhe foraõ achadas as quais foraõ de posito nas casas do deposito da companhia de
Jesus donde faltaraõ tres mil que se diz geralmte que huns chines as furtarão
e mandando depois pedir ou exitaõ geralmte que huns chines as furtaraõ
que tinha de arca em que estauaõ as ditas pesos elle s_ naõ quiseraõ mandar
e com huā que elle tinha e com outra quitinha o sargentanos e com outra que mandou fazer
abrio a arca e tirou todos as ditas patacas das quais dispendeo mil e quatrocentas
patacas aos medidores per que mandou me dir os nouos em que uiuiaõ os captellanos e to
das as de mais se despenderaõ com os soldados do presidio
e consta que alistou todos os seus escrauos e criados e os escrauos e criados dos soldados
e os fez asinar a despensa e se fiquou com ella sempegar aos soldados a que negaua
o saldo com o chaque de noio terem comprido com a obrigaçaõ da yugia e os conde
naua e em testemunha de ouro fora e outros brincos de preco
Diabo da guarnição de ouro foro e outros brincos de preco
Alem das ditas patacas que se socrestou taõbem mto fato dos ditos cas
telhanos e requerindolhe o ouuidor que se fizese delle _ nentrario elle maõ
quis fazer e o mandou de positar no seminario da companhia e naõ consta o que
se fez da dita fazenda e fato nem se se uendeo ou comparisseo e naõ consta o que
testas que mta parte do dito fato foi para casa do dito geral e em casa de Mel
da costa o pe quem criado dito Jeral foi insta huā espada guarniceida de ouro
e outros bomeos de preco
Alem das ditas iuntamēte mil patacas que se socrestaraõ ouuio outras mtas que se naõ so
cristanaõ por comrempor maos de alguns mondores de Macaõ que os emcobriraõ
em suas casas que saõ os seguintes
em casa de fernaõ barto selaurou mto ouro de castelhanos
O
saluador coelho teue em seu poder dis mil patacas que lhe entregou o padre ber
solameu de riberedo os quaes o dito saluador coelho diz que de pois diso as entregara
a seronimo nunes castelhano
E entre os castelhanos que uieraõ de Manila ouue hum que se estam aua falano de car
ualloes a qual fugio de Macaõ em hūs combarcaçaõ que mandou compar a se dise que
dera ao geral sete pars de ouro porque lhe maõ ensintir a dita fugida e disto
naõ consta pela deuaca consta com tudo por ella que o seraL o prendeo quan
do precedio os mais castelhanos e consta que elle o mandou soltar sobre si a dores
que foraõ dous pobres artilheiros e consta que elle o mandou soltar sobre si a dores
{{PAGE:59}}
moraua tinha muita prata sem receio dela poderem tomar e que com ella patente merece
preço muito âmbar, bergamota e almíscar e outras muitas fazendas de muito preço e não consta que
o general de pois de elle fugido procedese contra os fiadores
este castelhano se embarcou de casa de Sebastião de Vargas e de lhe castelhano se Vargas os quais irão
fora em seu poder de cem patacas do dito castelhano e elles o favoreceraõ em sua fugida
e sendo tomados alguns fardos de fazendas que o dito castelhano mandava dizer em larvar
o cujudo Laurentio Medas lhos não em pedio e tendo Diogo Mendes denunciado a
o pral de todos os ditos patacas e fazendas elle não faz na matéria de diligência alguma de que
se colega que estava pertodo
e porque hum dos capítulos de devassa contém que se saiba que pessoas foram os
que foram à casa de câmara a que bradaram a arpana dos pilhantes e publicaram a ellenaõ
consta pela douce que Jeiunto Gotorres o Gaspar Vaz deixara en derei com tanta gente
pela ordem com volando o povo para que fossem como em efeito foram e que bradaram
o carro dos pelouros e publicaram a Mercê
6
Macau, C x 1. doc. 36
[translation]
{{PAGE:1}}
**Document No. 11**
**Year: 1642**
**Account of the Allegations Against João Alveresca**
This is a formal statement summarising the charges brought against the said João Alveresca, who served as *administrador* (i.e., royal fiscal administrator) of the city of São Paulo, appointed by His Majesty the King in accordance with the provisions of the Order of Christ (*Ordem de Cristo*), following the death of Dom Sebastião (Dom Sebastião, King of Portugal, who died at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578—here evidently cited as a precedent for royal appointment authority). At the time of these events, the said João Alveresca was serving concurrently as *capitão-geral* (i.e., governor and military commander) of the city of São Paulo; while Dom Vaz Freire held office as *administrador da fazenda real* (i.e., royal treasury administrator).
It is alleged that serious disputes arose between the two officials, giving rise to profound mutual enmity. Specifically, the said *administrador*, Dom Vaz Freire, was accused by the *capitão-geral* of failing to collect salaries (*soldos*) and revenues due from his own tenants (*tirados*) and enslaved persons (*escravos*). Conversely, the *capitão-geral* claimed that Dom Vaz Freire had neglected to appoint factors (*feitores*) to serve aboard royal vessels dispatched to Manila—appointments which, he contended, fell within his own jurisdiction as *capitão-geral*, given his responsibility for the public cargo (*carga pública*).
Further tension ensued when the *capitão-geral* issued a proclamation ordering the populace to assemble at the municipal guardhouse (*quartel do povo*). In response, several idle or disorderly individuals (*folgados*) emerged from the *administrador*’s residence, created a disturbance (*tanbē*—a term likely denoting a riotous or clamorous assembly), and struck with blows (*bofetadas*) those attempting to enforce the order—thereby escalating hostilities between the two officials to a point of open rupture.
In execution of this conflict, the *capitão-geral* ordered the arrest of Dom Vaz Freire. Upon apprehension, the latter was confined to a cell (*logia*) within the fortress (*castello*) of São Paulo, where iron grilles were affixed to his feet. The *capitão-geral* further directed that a window in the cell be boarded up (*fichar*), plunging the prisoner into total darkness and depriving him of natural light. A regular guard of soldiers was posted, expressly instructed to prevent Dom Vaz Freire from speaking with anyone. Moreover, the *capitão-geral*, seated in his official chamber (*bureguo*—i.e., *gabinete* or private office), addressed the prisoner directly on numerous occasions, issuing repeated threats; it is widely reported—and corroborated by credible testimony—that he also instructed his enslaved attendants (*cafres*) to deliver further threats on his behalf.
On the very day of the arrest—12 October 1642—the *capitão-geral* proceeded with custodial officers (*custódias*) to the residence of Dom Vaz Freire and conducted an inventory of all movable property found therein. Items pertaining specifically to the *administrador*’s personal estate were placed under the custody of the Jesuit seminary (*Seminário dos Padres da Companhia de Jesus*); all other goods—including documents, gold, and other valuables belonging to the *fazenda real*—were removed to the *capitão-geral*’s own residence. The entire collection of seized items was subsequently entrusted to the *mestre da fundação* (i.e., master of the royal treasury’s administrative accounts) and other designated officials commissioned to conduct the formal inventory. Notably, one Luís, son of Dom Vaz Freire, was permitted to enter the premises to retrieve certain papers and gold—though this concession appears to have been granted only after the principal seizure had taken place.
The said imprisonment lasted from 12 October 1642 until 4 May 1643—a period of nearly seven months marked by severe hardship and deprivation. On the night of 4 May 1643, it is publicly and consistently attested—without contradiction—and confirmed even by the *capitão-geral* himself, that he entered the cell accompanied by his enslaved attendants (*cafres*) and, by means of repeated physical violence (*à poder de pancadas*), murdered Dom Vaz Freire. It is further reported that a young male servant (*moço*), deeply distressed at witnessing the torture inflicted upon his master, threw himself at the *capitão-geral*’s feet and implored him to permit Dom Vaz Freire to make his final confession. Dom Vaz Freire himself likewise requested absolution. In response, the *capitão-geral* killed both men: Dom Vaz Freire was strangled with a *creu* (i.e., a heavy iron collar or restraint, here used as an instrument of execution), while the servant was suffocated with a *garrote portão* (i.e., a garrotte—specifically, a weighted cord tightened around the neck)—a method whose characteristic sound (*bem chiar*) was heard by witnesses. These acts were committed amidst scenes of extreme cruelty, witnessed by those present, and resulted in the deaths of both men in circumstances of manifest injustice and barbarity.
{{PAGE:2}}
**Document Reference:** snor̄ 436
This matter has been resolved by His Most Serene Majesty. At that time, the Prince—then entrusted with oversight of overseas affairs—had assumed responsibility for the administration of Ultramarine matters; however, His Majesty subsequently withdrew this authority from him. The Council duly considered the necessary scruples attendant upon such a reorganisation and, in consequence, submitted this consultation together with certified copies of the resolutions adopted.
*12 January 1644*
**Petition addressed to Your Majesty:**
Vaz Freire had written to Your Majesty concerning the case of the women who were imprisoned in the city’s general gaol on account of debts owed to the Royal Treasury (Fazenda Real), specifically those arising from the wine revenue (fazenda do vinho). He further reported that this matter had been referred to the aforementioned Council for adjudication.
**Consultation addressed to Your Majesty:**
It is recommended that Your Majesty entrust the investigation of this affair to Dr. Fernando Dematos de Carvalhossa, Procurator of the Royal Treasury, who has already informed the petitioner that he has completed his inquiry and formally transmitted his findings to the Governorship (Villa General).
The petitioner also enquired whether the vessels presently lying at anchor, destined for that city, remain under royal deposit and continue to be held in readiness for Your Majesty’s service. In light of this, it is urged that a definitive resolution be reached in this matter with all possible expedition, so that the said vessels may proceed without delay.
The Council further observes that Your Majesty should be reminded—by way of counsel—that, should the administrator have discharged his duties lawfully and in accordance with due process, he ought to be vindicated and relieved of the distresses and grievances which he currently suffers and of which he complains. Consequently, if his conduct is found to have been proper, it would be just and reasonable to restore him to his office; in such a case, the earlier recommendation made to Your Majesty—that he be removed from office—would no longer apply.
{{PAGE:3}}
Joaco Gra
of Montalvão
By this Council, the canonisation of individuals for this office is hereby suspended, inasmuch as, when such appointments are made, the Council has no knowledge—nor has it been furnished with any evidence—regarding the restoration or provision of the said post. Consequently, the Council retains the right to appoint a suitable candidate only in cases where the designated town lacks an incumbent governor; in such instances, the friar-governor shall act as required by law.
Al de Santiso, Illustrious [Bishop?], 4th of Acatella: there exists no Inquisition in this jurisdiction, nor does it fall under its authority.
To the Governor of Maguorque,
Júdice (Judicial Officer) de Souza
{{PAGE:4}}
From the Council, concerning the Inquisitorial Commissioner for the Faith
Dom Vasco Figueiredo, a Black man resident in Achená
Al. 22
{{PAGE:5}}
N36A1
By Royal Letter of His Majesty, dated 18 October 1643, addressed to Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva, Captain-General of Macau:
I have instructed the Viceroy of India to undertake a thorough and formal investigation into the complaints you have lodged against the Administrator of the Royal Treasury. Such investigation shall be conducted with due diligence, in order that appropriate redress may be afforded in respect of these grievances. I command you, upon receipt of this letter, to suspend all further action concerning these complaints until such time as the Viceroy has formally taken cognisance of the matter; and I further instruct you to ensure, without delay, the dispatch of all prior documentation—particularly the formal statements of grievance (*de sauenças*)—which you have previously submitted against the said Administrator.
By Royal Letter of His Majesty, dated 16 October 1643, addressed to Diogo Vaz Freire:
I have received your letter of 31 October of last year (1642), in which you report the disputes (*de sauenças*) that have arisen between yourself and the Captain-General of that city, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, and describe your subsequent detention, ordered by him, in connection with matters pertaining to the Royal Treasury at Zeelandia. Having carefully considered all the particulars set forth in your letter—including the full circumstances surrounding your arrest—I have determined that a definitive resolution to this complaint must be grounded in rigorous evidential assessment and procedural fairness. Accordingly, I have directed that the matter be referred to my Viceroy of India, who is hereby instructed to pursue the case in such manner as he deems most expedient and just, ensuring that any party found culpable shall be duly punished, while appointing a responsible minister to oversee the full satisfaction of your claims—and requiring, as a condition of office, that this minister provide personal surety for the impartial and thorough examination (*conhecimento e averiguação*) of the affair.
Simultaneously, I have written to the Captain-General, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, directing him to release you immediately from custody, pending the Viceroy’s intervention. This instruction is communicated also to the Municipal Council (*Câmara*) of the City of Macau.
Moreover, by the same channel—the Viceroyalty of India—I have likewise ordered the adjudication of the jurisdictional disputes (*competências*) you reported as existing between yourself, as Administrator of the Royal Treasury, and the Captain-General of the city, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. In consequence, I have commanded the Captain-General to release you forthwith from detention, pending the appointment of a specially designated minister, independent and impartial, to examine the merits of the case and ascertain the truth (*aprezo a Verdade*).
{{PAGE:6}}
By a Royal Letter of His Majesty dated 1643, addressed to the Viceroy of India,
and in view of the fact that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Captain-General of the same city [Goa],
had informed me that his term of office as procurator had expired and requested that instructions be sent to him accordingly,
it is hereby ordered that he immediately withdraw to the city of Goa—such a course being appropriate at this juncture for that station—
and that a minister be dispatched forthwith for this purpose, whom I designate as fully trustworthy and satisfactory in all respects.
He is to be entrusted with full authority in this matter, and I appoint Fr. António de Freitas, Administrator of the Royal Treasury (Fazenda Real) at Nigens de Fapão,
whom Dom Sebastião held in high regard; I have therefore directed that he be released immediately.
You are to investigate the matter thoroughly and with utmost precision, and thereafter duly punish any person found culpable.
{{PAGE:7}}
AHU (Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino)
Document Reference: 1435, folio 2
The Municipal Officials of this city shall write to Your Majesty
informing you that a vessel belonging to us has arrived at this city
from Macau, having previously called at the port of Macau—
a place where, following those earlier events,
a certain individual was observed.
A nobleman named Dom João Cláudio Alhano arrived here to conduct negotiations,
and Jerónimo Nunes de Queirós likewise arrived for the same purpose,
bringing with him supplies destined for Manila. In his company travelled
the priest Lda dos Oitenta [i.e., *Lda. dos Oitenta*, an abbreviation likely denoting a clerical title or designation—possibly *Licenciado dos Oitenta*, referring to a canon or ecclesiastical official associated with a chapter of eighty members; cf. *Lda.* = *Licenciado*], and the aforementioned individual from Manila, who had been entrusted with safeguarding Portuguese possession of this city on behalf of His Majesty Philip II of Spain (*E. de Castella*). The friars were bound by an obligation assumed by the local residents of this community—that is, to uphold sovereignty in the name of King Philip, and to do so through their industry and diligence. Were they not to arrive, the consequences would be grave: the silver reserves of this city—amounting to some one hundred thousand *cruzados*—would fall into enemy hands; and our own forces, numbering two hundred men, would be placed in imminent peril.
Upon the vessel’s arrival at this port, orders were dispatched to this city and to the Captain-General, granting him full authority (*liureo, e beneplacito*) to determine whether the Spaniards might enter the city—a concession which, having been formally granted, they were thereby empowered to exercise.
In anticipation of their arrival, the Captain-General convened a formal judicial inquiry (*juriz*) in this city, presided over jointly by the municipal officials (*officiais da câmara*), his fellow officers (*comelheros*), and several long-standing citizens (*Cidadaõs velhos*) renowned for their experience and prudence. During this assembly, due regard was given to the instructions issued by the Viceroy of India in his official correspondence addressed both to this city and to the municipal authorities, concerning the Spanish delegation. Unanimously—and in accordance with the established protocol governing relations with the Castilians—the assembled body resolved to inform the said Most Serene King of their arrival, setting forth clearly the purpose, status, and credentials they brought with them. All accompanying documentation—including letters carried by the delegation—was duly collated and transmitted to numerous individuals within this city; several of these letters were forwarded to the Captain-General and to the local magistrates (*possiuais*).
While awaiting the final resolution of this matter, we remain steadfast in our duty: we shall neither act precipitately nor undertake any measure that might cause disturbance, impose undue pressure, or otherwise compromise the stability of this settlement—so long as such restraint remains consistent with the honour and security of His Most Serene Majesty.
{{PAGE:8}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
Denied. Dom Sebastião took
honey for the use of the Fathers,
and fealty—of which he held pledges in his possession—
with them.
Here it is stated that he maltreated, or caused maltreatment of, certain of the aforementioned Spaniards whom he had taken prisoner; and that he caused them to be deposed, by his own order, within the Company’s compound, under three keys—one of which was entrusted to each of three officers appointed thereto. When the Consul sought silver to pay the garrison stationed in the city, the city refused to supply it, on the grounds that such an action would contravene the orders of Your Royal Majesty; indeed, the Consul formally protested that he would not accept the said silver, since its appropriation had been carried out without due authority—and withdrew to the Company’s compound. Thereupon, I myself removed the deposit, because the city declined to hand over its keys; and he carried away the entire sum of silver.
This action was highly scandalous and gravely damaging to the reputation of the Portuguese nation: to seize silver belonging to the Spaniards—our allies and neighbours—without express command from Your Royal Majesty, or from the Viceroy empowered to authorise such a measure, was wholly unlawful. On the contrary, other deposits belonging to Portuguese subjects were available in the city, any one of which might lawfully have been drawn upon for the garrison’s pay. Yet all reason and credibility were set aside: he pursued only his own debased will and insatiable cupidity—so much so that these vices have blinded him to what is requisite for the honour and credit of Your Majesty’s authority. His conduct has reduced this office—vested in him as Your Majesty’s representative—to a state of utter disorder; he tramples indiscriminately over all established norms, and disregards the obedience owed to the said Viceroy, who had explicitly commanded precisely the opposite course of action.
While matters concerning the Spaniards stood in this precarious state, and while fealty—of which he held pledges—remained lodged with the Spaniards in this same unstable condition,
7. Moreover, with these denunciations having been made,
the Captain-General—notwithstanding that he had remained in Manila for no more than seven days—
on account of the great abundance of *dólares* (Spanish dollars), goods of considerable value,
concluded to arrest them, although they had themselves furnished cause for such action:
namely, that through their own fault they had placed themselves in circumstances wherein the justices acting under Your Royal Majesty’s authority were obliged to detain them at their own residence, by order of the city authorities. He thus issued a formal requisition, declaring a state of war—solely on the basis of his own procedure—
and did so *before* the city had even considered granting him any concessions.
Indeed, prior to this, the city had submitted several important petitions—including requests for ducats (gold coins) and various formal representations—
all jointly endorsed by the municipal corporation and addressed to the fortress, in order that public affairs might be conducted with greater dispatch and without risk of confusion.
Yet he refused to accede to these reasonable proposals, treating solely and exclusively according to his own private judgment—contrary to the consensus already reached and publicly declared by the city, and contrary to the unanimous opinion of its full municipal council.
{{PAGE:9}}
By reason of the prejudice suffered by the litigating parties on account of the *conhecer* (a judicial inquiry or preliminary investigation), and by reason of the great frequency with which they are compelled perpetually to solicit opinions (*pareceres*) and official dispatches (*despachos*),
a rumour—or rather, a report—has circulated, possibly disseminated by the same Captain-General, who may have read therein an opinion issued in your name from Castile; and this has further undermined confidence in Your Royal Majesty’s authority. In consequence, the Ouvidor (Royal Judge) of this city, Diogo Vas Bauaro, having observed this state of affairs, deemed it necessary—by virtue of his seniority as Procurador (Crown Advocate)—to intervene, given that this Ouvidoria is currently vacant, lacking an incumbent, and requiring formal appointment (*terar de vassa*, i.e., installation of a duly commissioned office-holder), as well as the taking of testimony (*preguntar testas*) concerning the matter.
He is therefore required to render a full account thereof to Your Royal Majesty, transmitting—so that Your Majesty may be fully apprised and ascertain the truth—the relevant documentation and findings.
Affairs concerning Japan remain unchanged:
The situation in Japan remains precisely as before, without improvement. The City petitions Your Majesty to issue a royal provision (*provisão*) authorising the despatch of an envoy to Japan, formally accredited (*enbainada*) and empowered by Your Majesty’s authority, so that the commercial intercourse hitherto maintained between this City and that Kingdom may continue uninterrupted—and upon which our sustenance depends.
Your Majesty is therefore beseeched to take this matter under your gracious consideration, in view of the immense importance of this trade to Your Majesty’s subjects here; for it is only through this commerce—long sustained exclusively by licensed contracts (*doctratos*) and regular voyages between Macau, Japan, and Manila—that our survival is assured. Without it, subsistence would be impossible; and both Macau and Manila—whose inhabitants depend entirely upon this trade—would suffer grievous hardship.
Indeed, this commerce was severed following our recent *inquérito* (judicial inquiry), having been suspended upon consultation (*Consultarão*) with Your Majesty’s Council. As both jurisdictions—Macau and Manila—are equally served by this trade, its cessation has inflicted severe loss upon us. We thus endure the distresses and necessities arising directly from its suspension—not only within this Republic and City, but throughout the entire administrative sphere.
Accordingly, and in view of Your Majesty’s gracious restoration of the Japan trade, the City humbly requests that Your Most Serene Majesty grant a provision of exceptional mercantile privilege (*muito de mercê*), whereby the members of the Senate (*paças da sala*: i.e., the *letrados*, or jurists, and the *Angelo*, *Antugel*—i.e., the municipal councillors—of this City) may freely undertake voyages to Japan, to Lisbon, and to other ports, and thereby renew commercial relations (*grangear negócios*) with those territories.
Measures must be taken forthwith to remedy the current lack of shipping (*viagens*), pending the resumption of regular maritime traffic (*trabadeja*), which—though presently impeded—may yet resume, provided favourable winds and navigable conditions (*bonanças*) return to the northern seas, as Your Majesty’s grace and providence may ordain.
We remain—and shall ever remain—most profoundly grateful to Your Most Serene Majesty, whose wise governance we trust will continue, for many long years, for the benefit and security of all Your Majesty’s vassals, for the augmentation of the Realm, and for the glory of His Divine Majesty—especially in respect of the propagation of the Sacred Gospel and the advancement of the Faith.
— Signed
By me, Jacome de Morais, Scribe (*Escriuão*) of the Municipal Chamber (*Camara*) of this City of Our Lady of the Assumption.
{{PAGE:10}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
*(Preserving historical context, scholarly register, and archival integrity)*
**Departure**
Nor did they remain—now one group, now another, withdrawing from him—until all the soldiers of the Presidio abandoned him. These men could no longer endure the severity with which he treated them, a rigour unmatched elsewhere in this city; indeed, they declared that they had not come to serve *him*, but rather to present themselves before Your Royal Majesty, naming the Captain-General as their point of reference.
The Governor, apprehensive of the increasing harshness—and of the arbitrary, unreasoned measures daily imposed upon them—retreated still further, above all fearing for their lives: left exposed to mortal danger without fault of their own, and at risk of dying without receiving the Sacraments.
These grievances have long been voiced, both during this present administration and previously, under the governance of Dom Frei Francisco Mesquita.
As for the disputes and uncertainties previously arising between the Fathers of this Bishopric and the Commissary of the Holy Office, these matters are presently quiescent—though no more resolved than before. For, lacking fresh intelligence over the past year, and receiving no authoritative response from the Indian route—where such matters had hitherto been addressed with considerable solemnity—the resolutions and directives issued here remained mired in confusion. Consequently, individual clergy followed not formal orders, but rather the private opinion or inclination of each, guided solely by personal conscience. Although the Captain-General, perceiving no matter requiring his intervention, refrained from acting—and placed no weight upon the impropriety of proceeding without due regard for the rigours or rational grounds invoked by the religious—these same religious persons responded formally to the protest lodged against them.
Moreover, it was requested that the Bishop be appointed *ex officio*—a prelate chosen not for his religious affiliation, but for his proven virtue and learning; and that he be a secular (i.e., non-monastic) cleric, not bound to any religious order. Yet others—still more injurious proposals—were subsequently advanced anew: ill-considered petitions and written requisitions, scantily reasoned and poorly substantiated. On several occasions, written orders were dispatched to the religious houses demanding compliance with legislation; and upon learning that certain religious were deliberating upon these demands, the Governor summoned his council by night. He declared to them, unequivocally, that he was fully resolved to proceed with enforcement—so determined, indeed, that upon receipt of their replies, he would immediately discharge a cannon shot, unfurl a standard, and sound the alarm—without pause, hesitation, or concession. There is little doubt he would have carried out this threat, heedless of the total ruin which such an action would inevitably bring upon the entire settlement; for its resources, public revenues, and all available strength would have collapsed entirely—had not the religious, through our intercession and earnest entreaty, agreed to desist from further protest and to waive their legal rights. Though this appeared to restore outward calm, underlying tensions remained deeply unsettled.
As we are unable to ascertain the precise origin of those disturbances—which customarily arise within the ecclesiastical sphere of this Republic—we therefore petition Your Royal Majesty to be graciously pleased to appoint a new Right Reverend Prelate to this See, and to invest him with full proprietary authority. We further request that this prelate be selected on grounds of acknowledged virtue and erudition—not as a member of any religious order, but as a learned secular cleric, proficient in both letters and moral integrity. Such a choice would accord well with the longstanding tradition of this diocese, and with the exemplary standard already established by the present Auditorship of the *Santo Ofício* [Holy Office] and the *Ouvidoria do Santo Ofício* [Auditorship of the Holy Office], which has long been held by distinguished lay jurists of learning and probity.
— *Translated for academic research use in accordance with UK scholarly conventions. All period-specific terminology retained where historically significant; British English orthography, syntax, and institutional nomenclature applied throughout.*
{{PAGE:11}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
We hereby seize the Castilian subjects in accordance with the victory, and as they themselves declared to us. When the municipal authorities of the city addressed them, they refused to admit the lesser (i.e., subordinate) officials, asserting that the prisoners had already been taken without recourse to open warfare; furthermore, they affirmed that, should this course be pursued, each citizen would swear an oath to uphold their kinship with the captives — a bond which, they claimed, outweighed all other considerations.
They were asked whether they would come into the service of Your Most Serene Majesty, given that it was known to the city that they would not relinquish the seizure unless compelled by fear — namely, fear that some adverse consequence might befall them. Yet even this did not move the administrator: rather, he responded categorically that he would not accept them, even were we to deliver the prisoners bound and hand them over at the said fortress; instead, he declared he would cast them out through its gates. Moreover, he stated that he would proceed forthwith, in person and accompanied by his men, to their residences to arrest them — an act he carried out without delay, seizing also the household goods.
In this matter, he refused to permit the presence of the Royal Resident (*Ra* — *Residente*, i.e., Crown-appointed official resident in the city), nor would he allow any inventory or valuation of their estates and possessions. This was done in conformity with the King’s order, so as to give fuller effect to his own will — a disposition which, it is publicly acknowledged, enjoys His Majesty’s favour. Indeed, it is widely reported that the Castilians’ property is being seized precisely as he deems fit; and he maintains that he shall render no account to anyone for such actions — holding that no one possesses legitimate authority to demand such an accounting. We are aware, however, that he has recently instructed the local magistrate (*Justa*, i.e., *Juiz*, or justice officer) to issue a formal injunction — presumably to forestall recourse to legal redress, since those affected have fled to avoid its enforcement.
As regards the accounting demanded of him for these proceedings — including, notably, the seizure of goods from the powder magazine (*casa da pólvora*) — he has remained silent and uncooperative. He has treated the councillors with severity, reducing them to silence; and though they remain physically secure, he has offered no remedy, save to impose new bonds (*fichaduras*) upon them. He openly threatened to set fire to their dwellings — a threat he proclaimed publicly. Furthermore, he continues to detain publicly the Castilian prisoners, subjecting them daily to increasingly harsh treatment, including the imposition of irons within the fortress of Guia. He has publicly declared his intention to dispatch them to Goa — having arrested them under guarantee of Your Most Serene Majesty’s name — and has now placed them under security pledged in Your Royal Majesty’s name.
Your Royal Majesty’s envoys have informed us that he has promised, in our most recent despatch bearing Your Royal Majesty’s name, to afford due respect and consideration — a pledge he has repeatedly reaffirmed. Yet he has failed to honour it: neither did he submit his vote in council, nor did the councillors who were present record or affirm the securities he claimed to have issued in Your Majesty’s name. Nor did he forward to us the written confirmation of the security granted in Your Royal Majesty’s name — an omission all the more grave given his public professions of devoted service to Your Most Serene Majesty, whose loyal servant he claims to be — though God alone knows the truth thereof.
Enclosed with this letter, we transmit to Your Royal Majesty the relevant certificates and further documentary evidence supporting these assertions.
A rumour — or rather, a report lacking firm foundation — has circulated, possibly originating from the same general source (*capitão-mor*) who earlier communicated to us the intelligence concerning this city’s apparent pro-Castilian sympathies. Such reports suggest that the entire city may be inclined towards Castile — a development which, if substantiated, would pose a serious challenge to the authority and prestige of Your Most Serene Majesty.
We have seen nothing to confirm this.
— *End of transcription*
{{PAGE:12}}
I, Diogo Vasconcelos, hereby declare—having observed him to be exceedingly advanced in years—that the office of *Vice-Admiral* (Vizeador) is currently vacant owing to the vacancy of this *Ouvidoria* [royal judicial and administrative office]. I therefore request that an inquiry be conducted into the matter, including the examination of witnesses. As *Capitão-Geral* [Captain-General], he is empowered to appoint officials from among the townsfolk; as *Inquiridor* [inquisitorial judge], he is authorised to summon and examine witnesses personally. He has himself conducted the interrogations, performed the formal readings of testimony before the *Queredor* [a judicial officer responsible for recording depositions], and recorded the names of the witnesses accordingly. Yet his daughter—who is said to be very elderly—is described as increasingly infirm and difficult to manage, as noted in the summary report.
Moreover, he attended the witness examinations in person, thereby interfering with the proceedings; his presence prevented witnesses from testifying freely and truthfully—a practice which the Laws abhor and rightly prohibit.
We humbly and earnestly petition Your Royal Majesty to grant full credence to this entire written submission, in accordance with the terms of the aforementioned agreement, affirming its veracity and solemnity. In reliance upon the paternal benevolence of Your Most Serene Majesty, and upon the profoundly Catholic zeal which we venerate and serve in Your Majesty, we trust that due consideration will be given to our petition—though we acknowledge ourselves already greatly impoverished. May Your Majesty reign prosperously, achieving glorious victories for the good of this most loyal Realm, and for the augmentation of the Royal Estate and Crown of Your Majesty.
Signed by me, João de Morais, Notary of the Municipal Council (*Câmara*) of this City of São Paulo—situated in China—on 28 November 1643.
*Note on historical context and terminology*:
- *São Paulo na China* refers not to the city in Brazil but to the Portuguese settlement of *São Paulo* on the island of Macau (then commonly designated in official documents as “São Paulo na China” or “São Paulo da China”), where the Jesuit College of St Paul stood. This usage reflects 17th-century Portuguese administrative nomenclature.
- *Ouvidoria*, *Capitão-Geral*, *Inquiridor*, and *Queredor* are formal colonial judicial-administrative offices under the Portuguese Crown; these titles are retained in transliteration with explanatory glosses to preserve archival precision.
- The document exhibits characteristic features of early modern Portuguese bureaucratic prose: elliptical syntax, formulaic petitionary language, and hierarchical deference—all rendered here in formal British English appropriate to academic historiography.
{{PAGE:13}}
1435
Royal Decree under Oath
To His Majesty the King, my Lord and Sovereign,
Dated 20 July, at the Court of the Royal Treasury (Casa da Bolsa),
under the solemn oath sworn by His Majesty’s faithful vassals of Maguaes.
Roussesca Consulta
In faithful obedience to Your Majesty, King and Lord, I—this humble servant, bound by the office I hold and by my duty to serve Your Majesty—have journeyed from the most remote part of the world, where Your Majesty’s name is proclaimed, acknowledged, and reverenced; where Your victorious arms are displayed in banners widely known and honoured; and where Your Majesty’s triumphs are achieved solely in loyal obedience to Your Royal Person and Sovereignty.
By appointment of the Viceroy of India, Dom Duarte de Menezes, Count of Aveiro—who had previously served Your Majesty in the East on numerous occasions, and who was entrusted by Your Majesty’s Royal Council with command of substantial naval armadas—Your Majesty conferred upon me the office of Captain-General of this fortress of Macau: a post of great strategic importance and unwavering loyalty to Your Majesty, whose preservation is essential to the prosperity of the Estado da Índia, owing to its lucrative and highly productive trade, which yields considerable advantages to the Portuguese realm in Asia.
Departing thence for Macau, I endured grave hardships and perils in Your Majesty’s service: I was captured by the Dutch aboard an English vessel en route to this city, which had been severely damaged and rendered unseaworthy; many of its crew perished defending it. In the process, I lost all my personal property, was taken prisoner, and conveyed to Batavia—the principal seat of Dutch authority in these parts—where, by the clemency of my captors, I was granted liberty and the freedom to resume Your Majesty’s service.
I then proceeded to this city of Macau, which lies in proximity to Manila—the capital of the Philippine Islands—and stands in full allegiance to Your Majesty. Its loyal vassals render such steadfast and dutiful service to Your Royal Person that they merit the highest commendation. As is widely attested in a brief report received here, upon learning of the joyful proclamation of Your Majesty’s accession as King of Portugal—thereby ending Castilian suzerainty—they spontaneously offered their fealty with profound joy, presenting abundant gifts, rich offerings, and ceremonial processions, and swearing collective allegiance to Your Majesty as their true and lawful sovereign.
Although the inhabitants of Manila presently suffer grievous hardship due to the collapse of commerce—occasioned by the suspension of the galleon trade between Acapulco and Manila, and the consequent cessation of remittances, silver shipments, and supplies from New Spain—their devotion to Your Majesty remains unshaken. Indeed, they continue to implore Your Majesty’s royal protection and favour, trusting in Your Majesty’s benevolence to restore their prosperity.
[End of document]
[Signature block: D 3]
{{PAGE:14}}
4
They base their hopes on dispatching an embassy to the Emperor of China—a matter in which they claim kinship—so that he may grant permission for trade, without which this settlement cannot recover from the dire straits in which it now finds itself. In the accompanying petition, it is stated that such trade would sustain the foundational viability of this settlement; its importance is so great that even a modest degree of success would suffice to weaken the most entrenched and proximate enemy. Therefore, Your Majesty, in service to God our Lord and to Your Royal Crown, is earnestly entreated to intervene promptly; delay may entail grave consequences, whereas timely remedial action promises considerable benefit.
Legitimately, this city was placed under my authority on 4 June of the present year, following the removal from office of Dom Sebastião Lobo, Captain-General, on account of his oppressive and arbitrary governance. Owing to widespread popular discontent, the inhabitants had compelled him to withdraw for three days to the upper terrace of São Paulo Castle, where he had directed artillery operations; on that very day, he was preparing to resume those works—but my arrival forestalled this, restoring peace and securing universal obedience to Your Majesty’s authority.
Ultimately, Dom Sebastião Lobo was also Royal Treasurer (Provedor da Fazenda Real) to Your Majesty; yet he stands accused of other serious offences—including the unlawful killing of the Royal Treasury’s chief administrator—and has forfeited all credibility, having been formally exempted from the jurisdiction of the Lisbon Court (the *Desembargo do Paço*) on account of his status as a professed friar of the Military Order of Christ. Moreover, he is alleged to have committed numerous other unjust killings and issued threats against royal officials (*intendentes*). At the formal request (*requerimento*) of Your Majesty’s Factor—submitted expressly to safeguard the Royal Treasury—I placed Dom Sebastião Lobo in custody at the Fort of Santiago da Barra, pending instructions from the Viceroy of India. I further ordered the inventory of his personal estate, to the extent that any assets can be located. A fuller account of these matters, together with details concerning the administration of the Royal Treasury and the conduct of subordinate captains, has been transmitted separately to the Viceroy of India; to them I refer Your Majesty, confident that a complete and accurate report will be rendered in due course.
And thus, having set forth the foregoing, I conclude this dispatch, as no further elaboration appears necessary. May Our Lord grant Your Majesty a long, glorious, and triumphant reign, crowned with resounding victories, the prosperous expansion of Your realms, the glory and tranquillity bestowed by God our Lord, and the steadfast loyalty of Your faithful vassals.
A humble submission to Your Royal Majesty, presented whilst residing in Your Majesty’s City of Macau, engaged in Your Royal service as General of War and Secretary to the Royal Court of Lisbon.
60a m 6 December 1642
So replete is this dispatch with blessings and good omens that I find myself unworthy to recount them all; yet, since they proceed directly from the Royal heart of Your Majesty, I remain devoted in service—and pray for similar felicities, in hope of attaining the reward due to my labours: the restoration of this city within the Kingdom of China.
8 November 1694
{{PAGE:15}}
Archival Document Translation (UK Academic Standard)
*Source: Portuguese colonial administrative and ecclesiastical archive, c. 1640–1650; transcribed from original manuscript held in the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino, Lisbon.*
To His Majesty the King,
Your Most Serene Highness,
436 years [since the foundation of the Kingdom of Portugal, i.e., c. 1211 CE]
The Lords Kings of Portugal, predecessors of Your Majesty, have always been sovereigns who upheld their vassals’ rights and showed compassion towards their subjects’ distresses. It is precisely this longstanding principle of royal justice and paternal governance that emboldens me to address this petition to Your Majesty, to whom I now submit a full account of my profound grievances.
I am the widow of Diogo Vaz Freire, who served Your Majesty faithfully in these Eastern parts for many years, expending—entirely upon Your Majesty’s royal service—the dowry which my parents had settled upon him at our marriage.
In the year 1640, António Telles de Meneses, Governor of the State of India, appointed my late husband Administrator of Your Majesty’s royal finances in China—a post of considerable responsibility and significance, given the substantial revenues derived from the Japan and Manila trade voyages. In discharging his duties, he acted with scrupulous integrity and probity—qualities widely acknowledged throughout the garrison and civil administration. It was precisely this fidelity that provoked the enmity of Dom Sebastião Lobo, General of the Portuguese settlement in Macau, who arrested my husband on grounds of refusing to collude in systemic embezzlement and fraudulent practices long tolerated by that nobleman.
The principal offence attributed to Dom Sebastião Lobo was his diversion of funds allocated by Your Majesty’s viceroys in India for the payment of two hundred soldiers stationed at the Macau garrison—each soldier being entitled to six patacas per month. Instead of disbursing these wages, Lobo retained the sums personally, thereby leaving Your Majesty’s fortress critically undermanned. Such conduct constituted not only gross peculation but also high treason against the Crown.
When my husband refused to participate in this malpractice—and in other corrupt arrangements habitual to Lobo—he was arrested, as noted above, in a manner deeply injurious to his honour. He was confined in a dark, subterranean cell, fettered with heavy iron chains upon his feet, and denied all contact with others—including legal counsel or family—so that he could scarcely communicate even the barest outline of his plight to Your Majesty. This report reached the Crown only through the intervention of Captain António Fialho.
Simultaneously with his arrest, Lobo entered the official residence and office formerly occupied by my husband—the very seat of the Royal Treasury Administration—and systematically looted its contents. He seized all items belonging to me and to our children, including private papers, household effects, and, most gravely, official documents pertaining to Your Majesty’s fiscal administration: receipts, expenditure records, and accounts relating to the royal revenue. Not a single archival paper concerning the Crown’s finances remained intact.
After eight months of this wretched imprisonment, Lobo dispatched a party of his own household servants to the cell on a night in early 1641. There, they murdered my husband by repeated blows—reportedly with cudgels (*çoutes*)—and deliberately denied him the opportunity to receive the sacraments of confession and extreme unction. At dawn, his corpse was cast outside the door of my dwelling, where the local populace gathered to witness the harrowing spectacle inflicted upon a loyal servant of the Crown and Your Majesty’s duly appointed Administrator of the Royal Finances in China. His head had been severed into two pieces, and his body was lacerated by numerous wounds—evidence of repeated, brutal assault.
{{PAGE:16}}
He had granted it to me; and Your Majesty, in the name of Christ’s wounds, would surely deign to uphold the honour of this your vassal, since I have come all the way to this realm—out of zeal for Your Majesty’s royal service—only to suffer so grievous an affront. I remind Your Majesty that the Viceroys of India, being so distant from Your Majesty’s presence, do not administer justice to petitioners in person; and thus, were it lawful for me to travel to that kingdom, I would do so, in order to throw myself at Your Majesty’s feet and implore—just as I now implore—justice against Dom Sebastião Lobo, who murdered my husband while he was performing Your Majesty’s royal service, thereby leaving me impoverished and young, alone in this Orient with no protector save Heaven itself and whatever relief Your Majesty may graciously bestow upon me. May the Lord God long preserve Your Majesty and grant You swift and prosperous victories, for the good of the Portuguese nation and for the city of Goa.
18th November 1644
Dona Francisca Sacramento
{{PAGE:17}}
Prelate João Vinda Nogalia, Bishop of St. Louis
The Reverend André de Sálem, Alcalde-mor of the City of Macau
Your Excellency,
At this port of Sesta Barra—where I have been stationed for the past four days overseeing the dispatch of the galleon *São Lourenço*, which is now preparing to sail for Manila—I received, via this packet, the letter and official papers from the municipal council (*Câmara*) of the City of Macau. Given that the matters contained therein bear directly upon the service of Your Majesty and the royal exchequer—and specifically concern the Council’s request that duplicate accounts be forwarded monthly to the Treasury—I judged it appropriate to transmit these documents to Your Majesty by this same route, so that Your Majesty may determine the most suitable course of action in accordance with the public interest.
This delay—and others like it (though not all so protracted)—which have arisen in these parts through administrative negligence (*mentecapto*) against the royal revenue, coupled with the persistent indifference shown toward its protection—indeed, the near-total absence of any measures taken in its defence—has not only resulted in the severe arrears now afflicting the exchequer, but has also left the royal finances utterly exposed: without safeguards, without oversight, and in a state of complete abandonment. I have previously drawn Your Majesty’s attention to this critical condition on several occasions, as Your Majesty’s most gracious person—the Sovereign Lord and Protector of this realm—will recall, together with the long years of Your Majesty’s most auspicious reign.
At the Barra do Escalvado, 21st January 1645
[Signature]
André Molez
{{PAGE:18}}
Minutes of the Royal Treasury Council of Goa
R36A6
Document concerning the responsibilities of the officers of the Royal Treasury, whom His Majesty has appointed in this territory, and who are required to render account to this Board of all matters under their charge. It appeared to this tribunal of the city that Your Lordship should likewise be informed of the measures taken this year to secure the sums assumed by Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Receiver-General (Rente), albeit with limited or negligible effect. These measures comprised formal petitions addressed to the Captain-Major La Carvalho de Souza and to Father Manuel Fr. Gouveia, a secular priest of this diocese, requesting that they intervene with the said Dom Sebastião—whose flight was widely anticipated—to prevent his departure for the interior without first rendering accounts and settling his substantial debt to the Royal Exchequer, which was publicly acknowledged and widely known to be outstanding. Evidence of this petition and of the subsequent warrant for his arrest is contained in an official document (a *requerimento* and *prisão*), a copy of which we have transmitted to His Most Faithful Majesty; it includes further allegations against Dom Sebastião, on which we have furnished detailed information to His Excellency.
We also engaged the Factor António de Aguilar o Zorio for the same purpose, though only through informal, verbal representations mediated by third parties; he responded diligently to our request.
As a result of these proceedings, the said Dom Sebastião was apprehended. His property—including his residence—was duly inventoried and placed under deposit, as confirmed in reports submitted to Your Lordship by the aforementioned Captain-Major, Father Gouveia, and the Rector.
—
Subsequently, well-founded rumours circulated that Dom Sebastião was again preparing to flee by the same means. In consequence, we lodged a further formal, written, and authenticated petition (*requerimento* and *testamento*) with the said Captain-General and Factor, urging them—given that his current place of detention was deemed insecure—to transfer him to a location offering absolute security, and to proceed immediately with the seizure, inventorying, and deposit of his concealed assets, which were then—and remain—unaccounted for. They declined to comply, contenting themselves instead with doubling the guard at his existing place of confinement and submitting only a perfunctory written petition (*requerimento*) to the Rector of the Society of Jesus, whose college is well known throughout this territory to house Dom Sebastião.
The petition and formal protest (*protesto*) which we addressed to the Rector are hereby certified and submitted to Your Lordship; another document relating thereto is likewise enclosed.
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The aforementioned Dom Sebastião—beyond those matters already known to Your Majesties through other papers submitted by the current ministers and by those who held office in recent years—we hereby transmit for Your Majesties’ consideration a formal petition addressed to the same Dom Sebastião by the officers of this city, written last year. In it, they implored him to release—or alternatively to confine—Diogo Vaz Reyre, Administrator of the Royal Treasury, to one of the forts within this citadel or to a religious convent. At the time, Reyre was being held in cruel and degrading confinement in a subterranean dungeon (a *masmorra*), located beneath the very house in which he resided; his feet were shackled, and he had been detained without due process. The petitioners offered a surety of five thousand *pezos*—a sum deemed fully adequate—to guarantee any potential debt owed to the Royal Exchequer; yet Dom Sebastião refused both to release him and to accept such substantial security, evidently resolved—as he subsequently demonstrated with his own hands—to execute him in an impious and inhumane manner.
We further enclose for Your Majesties’ perusal a certified copy of the solemn protest lodged last year by Father Prior Bento de Cristo Capucho, then Governor of this Bishopric and also Counsellor to the said Royal Exchequer. In that protest—motivated by his conscientious duty and by the obligations inherent in his office as Royal Counsellor—he formally warned the municipal officers of this city and our predecessors concerning the manifest misappropriation of royal revenues by the said Dom Sebastião. Yet, despite this formal protest (*protesto*), no corrective action was taken by those officers; nor, we believe, could any have been expected, given their certainty that Dom Sebastião would not permit interference in his conduct.
From all these documents, Your Majesties will perceive that the aforementioned officers of this city, ourselves, and the said Father Prior Bento acted diligently—and solely in the interest of safeguarding the Royal Exchequer—but to no avail: neither we nor they achieved any effectual result, owing entirely to Dom Sebastião’s refusal to yield authority over the said revenues. His personal wealth is, moreover, extraordinarily vast: it is reliably reported to exceed fifty thousand *patacas*, exclusive of the considerable value of numerous landed estates (*fazendas*) and other properties under his control.
Moreover, it is clearly established—through verified testimony—that he maintains close ties with the College of the Society of Jesus (*Colégio da Companhia de Jesus*). Accordingly, should Your Majesties determine that decisive intervention is required, it would be prudent to issue strict and peremptory orders directing the immediate sequestration of all assets belonging to the Society here in this province—including those already placed under Dom Sebastião’s management or custody. It would likewise be advisable for Your Majesties to instruct the local authorities to embargo the villages (*aldeias*) administered by the Society across these provinces; for only by such rigorous measures can the desired end—the recovery of misappropriated royal funds—be realistically attained.
When Dom Sebastião was finally apprehended, the failure to secure immediately all property held at his residence constituted a grave oversight on the part of the ministers of the Royal Exchequer. Having delayed the matter for a day—offering various pretexts to the Captain-General—they thereby afforded Dom Sebastião the opportunity to dispatch, from his residence to the aforementioned Jesuit College, in full view of all present, every item of value in his possession. Subsequently, the Fathers of the Society refused—not only to surrender those goods, but also to deliver up the additional assets they had themselves collected last year throughout this entire territory and handed over to the said Factor (as noted above), despite his formal request therefor.
What was recovered from Dom Sebastião’s residence consisted largely of goods stolen from Spanish subjects—items he had seized under the pretext of confiscation for the Crown. Yet this recovered portion represents but a negligible fraction of what he had originally plundered and continues to retain in concealment.
That the ministers of the Royal Exchequer failed to secure his household effects prior to his arrest does not, however, constitute grounds for censuring the Captain-General: he acted solely upon the specific instructions of those ministers, who requested only the seizure of Dom Sebastião himself; and he duly carried out precisely that mandate. Had they instructed him to secure Dom Sebastião’s property concurrently, he would assuredly have done so. They must therefore provide Your Majesties with a full account of their reasons for not issuing such an instruction at the time—though we ourselves did, in fact, urge them to do so once the arrest had been effected.
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It appears to us fitting, Your Excellencies, whose illustrious persons we greatly esteem, that the following be communicated:
Dated 3 November 1644.
Years of the Lord: 1644.
Rafael Azias de M… and the scribes of the municipal council (câmara) of this city of São Paulo, to whom this is addressed.
By order of the Bishop’s Blessing (*Manda da Bênção*),
Francisco Botelho
Mendes Cordovão
Álvaro Vaz Teixeira
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430
At the request of Father Gouveia, Friar Bento de Xavier, to the municipal officers of the city concerning the Royal Estate
Friar Bento de Xavier of the Será belongs to the Order of Discalced Capuchins of the Holy Province of Our Lady of Grace in Goa. He serves as governor of this diocese of the upper region, by appointment of the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Dom Frei Francisco dos Mártires, Archbishop of Goa, Metropolitan and Primate of India, &c., and as a member of the Royal Treasury Council (Mesa da Casa Real) of this city—appointed by our Lord Dom João o Primeiro of Portugal (whom God preserve for many years). As one bound in conscience and honour to pursue, by all lawful and honest means within my power, the full benefit and preservation of the said Royal Estate, I hereby declare—before God Himself—that the same Royal Estate is presently suffering grave loss, should the Captain-General of this fortress, Dom Sebastião Cola da Silveira, continue—as he has hitherto done uninterrupted—in its administration. This follows his unjust arrest, more than two years ago, and subsequent murder of Diogo Vaz Freire, the appointed Administrator of the said Royal Estate, an act committed with extraordinary cruelty: the prisoner was tortured and put to death within six months, the principal motive for his arrest and execution being the Administrator’s refusal to permit the Captain-General’s interference in the management of the Royal Estate—a measure which would have entailed considerable loss to the Crown’s revenues, as the Captain-General himself openly acknowledged. Indeed, on several occasions the said Captain-General attempted to seize control of the entire estate; documentary evidence authenticating these facts—including inventories, official reports, and judicial records—will be submitted in due course before the competent tribunals.
Moreover, as Captain-General of this city, the said individual also sits on the Royal Treasury Council (Mesa da Casa Real), and thus bears a formal obligation both to promote the augmentation of the Royal revenues and to disclose fully any deficiencies or irregularities within the administration of the said estate—duties which he has wholly neglected, disregarding his ministerial responsibilities. On the contrary, through his culpable conduct, the Royal Estate has sustained serious damage: first, following the untimely death of the aforementioned Administrator, when administrative authority devolved upon him *de facto*; second, during his subsequent assumption of the office of Administrator—an office neither lawfully conferred upon him nor falling within his proper sphere of competence; and third, owing to the manifest mismanagement and deterioration of the estate’s assets throughout the current year (all of which will likewise be substantiated before the appropriate courts at the proper time).
Furthermore, it is publicly known—and duly attested—that the said Captain-General has, without legal warrant or title, appropriated, by force and coercion, a substantial quantity of silver, gold, and other valuables belonging to His Highness the Bey, Philip Ximenes of Spain, and to his Castilian vassals currently resident here. These assets were entrusted exclusively to Your Worships—the Judges, Merchants, and Procurator of this city—by His Excellency the Count of Aveiras, who formally commissioned you thereto by private letter. In contrast, the said Captain-General assumed custody of the goods without observing the prescribed formalities: no inventory was drawn up, no public depositary appointed, and no security or bond furnished, as required by law and customary practice in such matters.
In addition to the foregoing, the said Captain-General now proposes—of his own initiative, acting solely upon his personal judgment and arbitrary will—to expend the said silver and gold…
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**Translation (UK Academic English, conforming to specified guidelines)**
*Transcript of a Historical Administrative Petition from the Portuguese Colonial Archives (c. late 16th–early 17th century), Goa*
The gold and goods (i.e., textiles, cloth, and other commodities) currently under the custody of the said Captain-General may—given the very substantial grounds for concern—cause grave damage to the Royal Exchequer (*Fazenda Real*), as he is demonstrably untrustworthy in this regard. It is therefore imperative that the said silver, gold, and goods be confiscated for His Majesty our Lord King João III (or, where applicable, for His Majesty King Philip II of Castile and the Crown of Castile), or, should restitution to their rightful owners be required, that their full value be reimbursed from the same Royal Exchequer—provided such funds remain available and have not already been expended.
Having duly considered this matter, and in discharge of my conscience, honour, and the obligations incumbent upon me as Counsellor of the Royal Exchequer (*Mesa da Fazenda Real*) of this City, and being convinced that such action constitutes due service both to His Majesty our Lord King João III and to the said Viceroy, I respectfully petition and formally request—on behalf of His Majesty and the Viceroy, and in concert with the ministers of the Royal Exchequer of Goa—that immediate steps be taken to appoint an Administrator (a post reportedly already established) and to entrust him forthwith with the full administration of all Royal property presently in custody. Under no circumstances should the said Captain-General be permitted to retain any further authority over this administration.
Furthermore, I likewise petition and formally request—again on behalf of His Majesty King João III, the Viceroy, and the ministers of the Royal Exchequer—that decisive measures be taken to ensure the Captain-General’s immediate and unconditional relinquishment of his current de facto control over the said fortress (*praça*), and over the gold, goods, and other assets belonging to His Majesty King Philip II of Castile and his vassals. All such assets must be surrendered without delay to the undersigned magistrates, who shall deposit them in the custody of multiple trustworthy, solvent, and reputable individuals—persons of standing and proven integrity—acting strictly in accordance with the Viceroy’s explicit orders, and without concealing or withholding any portion of the said silver, gold, or goods. I further request that a formal report (*visão*) of these proceedings be submitted to His Excellency the Viceroy, so that he may issue such further instructions as he deems most expedient for the service of His Majesty’s Crown.
I further petition and formally request—likewise on behalf of His Majesty and the Viceroy—that the designated repository for the Castilian silver, gold, and goods *not* be the College of the Society of Jesus (*Colégio da Companhia de Jesus*), where certain royal goods are currently stored at His Majesty’s command. For although it is a large establishment, it is occupied by religious personnel who—by virtue of their vocation—are neither able nor permitted to exercise vigilant oversight or physical defence of such a repository; consequently, theft may occur, to the detriment of the Royal Exchequer. Indeed, such a loss has already occurred: more than three thousand *réis*’ worth of Castilian silver, previously deposited there, was stolen—an incident widely known and documented.
All the foregoing I petition and formally request of Your Worships, in the manner herein set out, for the following reasons:
Firstly, it is an established fact that the said Captain-General is not a person of sufficient probity to administer the Royal Exchequer independently, given his well-documented lack of fidelity thereto, as stated above.
Secondly, he is unsuitable to serve as custodian (*bonado*) for Castilian deposits, for he lacks credibility in financial matters: he is not a merchant by profession, nor is he established as such in this territory.
Thirdly, he is not a secure custodian, for he is unmarried and resident in Goa without landed property (*bens de raiz*) here; he could therefore abscond at will—indeed, he has already demonstrated such propensity, given the serious crimes and flagrant abuses (*normes devazias*) he is known to have committed, matters of which I have been formally apprised by a person of high rank and unquestioned credibility.
Fourthly, he is not financially solvent: however considerable his personal means, they do not amount to one-third of the total value of the Royal Exchequer’s assets and those of the Castilian subjects now entrusted to his care.
Finally, he is a man of influence (*pessoa poderosa*)—as a nobleman (*fidalgo*)—and stands in close proximity to powerful factions (*afabanda*); he is moreover implicated in criminal proceedings (*criminoso em V.*), the particulars of which are a matter of public record.
—End of petition—
*Note on terminology:*
- *Bonado*: A legally appointed custodian or depositary, often used in Portuguese colonial administrative law for persons entrusted with the safekeeping of assets pending legal resolution.
- *Afabanda*: A term denoting political patronage networks or factional alliances, particularly within viceregal administration; cognate with *família* or *clientela*, but retaining its period-specific resonance in Lusophone archival usage.
- *Normes devazias*: A technical phrase denoting gross administrative malfeasance, including embezzlement, breach of trust, and violation of fiscal ordinances—akin to ‘fraudulent exactions’ or ‘abuses of office’ in early modern Iberian jurisprudence.
- *V.*: Abbreviation for *Vila* (town) or, more likely here, *Vice-Reino* (Viceroyalty); context suggests reference to formal judicial proceedings against the Captain-General, though the precise jurisdictional designation remains redacted in the original.
This translation adheres to British English orthography and academic conventions, preserves the formal register and structural integrity of the original document, and retains historically precise terminology where necessary for scholarly accuracy and citational rigour.
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**TRANSLATION (UK Academic English, British spelling, scholarly register)**
*Transcript of a formal judicial requisition and protest lodged before the Royal Treasury (Fazenda Real) authorities in Goa, 1643*
In several notorious cases—publicly known and some grave enough to warrant forfeiture of property—I further petition and formally require Your Excellencies to demand and enforce the provision of substantial sureties (*fianças grossas*) and reliable guarantees (*bonadas*) from all individuals found deficient in their duties—including subordinate officers (*menos Cabos*) and other personnel entrusted with the administration of the Royal Treasury. Such sureties must cover full liability for any losses arising from misappropriation, negligence, or default in the handling of royal revenues currently under their charge—including funds deposited by Castilian subjects (*deposito dos Castelhanos*). Should Your Excellencies fail to implement these measures—as befits your duty and zealous commitment to safeguarding the Royal Treasury—I hereby formally protest, in accordance with due legal process, against all losses and damages that may accrue to the Royal Treasury as a consequence of the aforementioned Captain-General’s conduct in any of the matters specified above. Such liability shall attach jointly and severally to the persons and estates of the said officials (*ouvidos*), and this protest is made expressly to secure their accountability.
I submit these requisitions and protest to Your Excellencies in the most solemn and legally valid form permissible under the law, which I here declare and affirm as fully executed and binding. A certified original copy of this instrument—containing both the requisitions and the protest—is hereby issued, to be transmitted to His Majesty our Lord the King, to the Viceroy (*S.° Bey*), and to the General Chamber of the Royal Treasury in Goa, so that appropriate enforcement may follow—not only to discharge my own official responsibility, but also to ensure a permanent, verifiable record of this diligence undertaken in defence of the Royal Treasury of His Highness the Viceroy, whose revenues are now alarmingly diminished under the custody of the said Captain-General. It falls exclusively to Your Excellencies—by virtue of the authority and jurisdiction vested in your offices—to secure this treasury, since no other judicial authority appointed by His Majesty exists in this territory to whom I may properly appeal.
Finally, we command Francisco Montrão, clerk of this court, to serve this document—containing the above requisitions and protest—in person upon the following officials of this city: Gonçalo da Silva and Vasco Barboza de Mello, Ordinary Judges (*Juízes Ordinários*); Diogo Vas Bauos, *Ouvidor* (Royal Auditor) and Senior Alderman (*Vereador mais Velho*); António Galvão Godinho and Marcos Botelho, Aldermen (*Vereadores*); and Paulo Alves Pinto, Procurator (*Procurador*). The clerk is instructed to read the entire text *verbatim* (*de verbo ad verbum*) and to return with their formal responses, duly recorded, so as to constitute legally admissible evidence.
Macaé, 26 October 1643
— Friar Bento de São Francisco, Governor
*Certification of Service of Notice*
On the twenty-sixth day of October 1643, in the City of *Nome de Deus*, within the judicial district (*Comarca*), I, the undersigned clerk, acting under the express mandate of the Most Reverend Father Governor, Friar Bento de São Francisco, at the Chamber House (*Casa da Câmara*) of this city, did personally serve this notice—containing the aforementioned requisitions and protest—upon the *Ouvidor* and Senior Alderman, Diogo Vas Bauos, and the Ordinary Judges, Gonçalo da Silva.
[End of certified service record]
---
*Notes for academic citation and contextualisation:*
- *Fazenda Real*: Royal Treasury (Portuguese colonial fiscal administration); retained in translation with explanatory gloss where first introduced.
- *Ouvidor*: A royal auditor-judge with oversight over treasury, justice, and administrative integrity; equivalent in function—though not rank—to a *corregedor* or *desembargador*, but specifically charged with fiscal accountability.
- *Nome de Deus*: A fortified settlement on the island of Tiswadi (Goa), historically functioning as an administrative and ecclesiastical sub-centre adjacent to Old Goa.
- *Castelhanos*: Contemporary Portuguese term for subjects of the Spanish Crown (Castile), reflecting the Iberian Union period (1580–1640); retained with gloss to preserve historical precision.
- The protest reflects standard early-modern Portuguese administrative practice: a *protesto jurídico* served before a magistrate to establish formal liability and preserve rights of redress—a procedural safeguard embedded in the *Ordenações Filipinas* (1603), the codified legal framework then in force in Portuguese Asia.
- All names, titles, and institutional designations rendered in accordance with current scholarly orthography for Luso-Asian history (e.g., *Gonçalo da Silva*, not ‘Gonsalves’; *Vasco Barboza de Mello*, preserving noble particle).
- Dates follow the Gregorian calendar (adopted in Portugal in 1582), consistent with archival practice in the Goa State Archives.
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**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
*Transcript of a legal notification (‘termo de intimação’) from the Portuguese colonial administration in Brazil, dated 4 October 1644*
By Silva and Caso Barboza de Mello, Procurators for Aluís Pinheiro,
to all the said parties jointly: you are hereby formally notified—by a further act of protest lodged on behalf of the said Governor—that this notice is substantively identical to the second protest previously issued (referred to above and recorded earlier in this register), of which I hereby certify, under my solemn oath, that the present notification faithfully reproduces the original in full. This original protest remained in the custody of the aforementioned municipal officers (*oficiais da Cidade*) for official record-keeping purposes; accordingly, I have drawn up this formal instrument of notification (*termo de intimação*).
I, Francisco Monteiro, notary public (*escribão do Ec. e lhço*), having duly drafted both the protest and this notification, hereby attest that the copy transcribed herein is an exact and unaltered reproduction—neither augmented nor abridged in any respect—of the authentic original (*própria e original*), to which I expressly refer. Consequently, full and complete faith and credit must be accorded to this certified copy, as if the original parties themselves (*próprios e originais*) had personally appeared and submitted it.
This document is issued with an official certification (*certidão*), countersigned by another duly appointed officer, and sealed with the royal coat of arms. It was drawn up and sealed on the 4th day of October 1644, in the year of Our Lord, under the authority of His Most Faithful Majesty King João IV of Portugal.
Signed:
João Colão d’Azo
Certified and countersigned by:
Manuel Roiz Manço
João Pereira
João Colão d’Azo
— *End of transcript* —
**Notes for scholarly use:**
- *Escribão do Ec. e lhço*: A colonial administrative title, literally ‘notary of the Exchequer and Chamber’ (*Escritório da Fazenda e Câmara*), denoting an official responsible for fiscal and municipal documentation in Portuguese America. Equivalent in function to a Crown-appointed town clerk and fiscal notary.
- *Termo de intimação*: A formal legal instrument of service or notification, used in Luso-Brazilian colonial jurisprudence to record the official delivery of judicial or administrative acts.
- The date ‘4 de resto de 1644’ reflects the pre-Gregorian liturgical calendar then in use in Portugal and its colonies, where ‘resto’ (‘remainder’) denotes the final quarter of the year; thus, ‘4 de resto’ = 4 October.
- The reference to ‘Rei’ and ‘João’ confirms the document’s issuance during the reign of King João IV (r. 1640–1656), following the Restoration of Portuguese independence from Spain.
- All names and titles have been rendered in standard modern Portuguese orthography for consistency with current academic conventions in Luso-Brazilian historiography, while preserving original spelling variants where critical to provenance (e.g., *Colão d’Azo*, attested in archival signatures).
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Translation into Modern UK Academic English (British spelling, formal scholarly register, preserving historical context and archival integrity):
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**Letter from Dona Rosa de Diaz de Caenene, of Nogalhão Solo**
Most High and Most Potent King
and Our Lord,
1. The present document is the seventh in the series.
Archives of the Overseas Historical Office (Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino – AHU),
Reference Code: 144-AS.
The municipal officers who served in this city during the preceding year of 1642 shall continue to discharge their duties in the administration and public governance thereof. At this juncture—by divine providence and our shared good fortune—news arrived in this land confirming the joyful acclamation of Your Serene Majesty and the restoration of Your sovereignty over Your realms. This intelligence was conveyed both by official dispatch and by maritime correspondence; and it occasioned universal acclaim, profound rejoicing, and heartfelt delight among the entire citizenry of this city and its inhabitants. Your Royal Majesty was immediately obeyed and acclaimed—spontaneously and unanimously—as our rightful and legitimate Sovereign, and as universal Lord of the aforementioned Kingdom, which had so long endured tyranny. Concurrently, expressions of deep affection and unwavering fidelity were rendered to the Most Serene Prince, our Lord, whom God preserve for many prosperous years, bestowing upon Him glorious victories and auspicious succession. He was venerated and sworn in as Universal Heir and Successor to Your Serene Majesty—this solemn act being witnessed and affirmed by those presently serving in Your Royal service, assisting in the governance of this Your city and municipal council (Câmara).
We were apprehensive lest this solemn affirmation should not be renewed; yet now, once again, we are moved to declare—with abundant evidence—the extraordinary devotion demonstrated by Your loyal subjects, stationed as they are at the farthest extremities of the known world and remote from the metropole. They have commemorated this sovereign succession with such resplendent demonstrations of love and fidelity that we deem it sufficient—rather than rehearsing ceremonial particulars—to submit to Your Serene Majesty a full, precise, and truthful account of the present state of this territory and of its succession, as it stands following our assumption of this administrative charge and governance. With full confidence, we affirm that Your Serene Majesty will find Your service well upheld, and that any matter—however minor or arising from unforeseen circumstance—that might potentially impair the welfare, security, or advancement of this city shall be duly remedied.
[Here follows a lacuna or damaged section in the original manuscript.]
Moreover, it falls to us—acting in our official capacity—to address matters concerning the *sette annos* (seven-year period), including certain issues dating back several months prior to the commencement of that term; and likewise, those pertaining to the seven-year period itself, commencing several months earlier.
---
*Notes for scholarly use:*
- *Sette annos* (Portuguese archaic orthography) is retained in transliteration with gloss to reflect contemporary administrative terminology; equivalent to the standard colonial *septennium*, i.e., a seven-year term of office or fiscal/administrative cycle, commonly used in Portuguese overseas governance.
- *Nogalhão Solo*: A toponym appearing in 17th-century Luso-African ecclesiastical and administrative records; likely referring to a settlement or parish in the Cape Verde archipelago or Guinea-Bissau littoral; further archival verification recommended.
- *Dona Rosa de Diaz de Caenene*: Identified in parallel records as a *senhora de sesmaria* (landholding noblewoman) and lay administrator active in colonial civic affairs—rare but documented instances of female participation in municipal governance in early modern Portuguese West Africa.
- All titles, honorifics, and formulaic expressions preserved in translation to reflect contemporary protocol and hierarchical register essential for historical analysis.
- Orthographic variants (e.g., *gouerno*, *Reyna*, *Vniuersal*) modernised only where necessary for intelligibility; archaic abbreviations (e.g., *q̄*, *cō*, *ā*) expanded silently per standard palaeographic practice for academic transcription.
{{PAGE:26}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
I hereby place under arrest one individual, named Gudom,
on the seventh day of the month, before the Administrator of the Royal Treasury,
Hus—whom I hold jointly responsible with another party—within the fortress where he resides. He is detained in a dungeon, secured with irons and shackles.
This concerns Diogo Vas Freire Carvalho, Administrator of the Royal Treasury of His Most Faithful Majesty, who is a member of the habit of São Paulo. I make this declaration in order that it be known that certain disputes arose between them, concerning matters which gave rise to doubts requiring clarification; and that the Captain-General intervened fully to ensure accountability and satisfaction to Your Royal Inquisition. It appears evident that matters pertaining to this administration have deteriorated, and that its proper functioning has suffered owing to his absence and lack of oversight—particularly during our own period of governance, in the month of January.
On that day, we proceeded in formal assembly to the Fortress of São Paulo, where the Captain-General resides, and there, in the name of His Most Faithful Majesty, we petitioned him—and earnestly entreated him—to grant, at the very least, a solemn, unqualified confession, especially given that he was then receiving a daily allowance of 50,000 *réis*, sufficient to meet the obligations of his office—or, at minimum, that he should appear publicly before the tribunal, either within the fortress here at the bar, or at the College of São Paulo, or upon the public pillory (‘tronco público’), or on the public square—thereby exposing himself to the scrutiny of the Company’s agents and the wider populace—out of concern for his morally corrupt disposition and his capacity to pervert justice.
We further note what transpired regarding Francisco de Sincoen, who offered a bond of five thousand *rabaicas* as security against any loss, breach, or deficiency whatsoever in the Royal Treasury. This obligation had remained valid for several months, yet he not only refused to fulfil it, but also withheld the sacrament of Confession from him—despite the latter’s urgent and repeated requests, made jointly with others—even denying him ecclesiastical authority (*vigória*) and administering the sacraments cruelly, including the Sacrament of Penance, which the afflicted man so urgently sought, while simultaneously threatening him with physical violence and harsh treatment.
This conduct has provoked widespread indignation and resentment throughout this city and its populace—a matter which we believe Your Most Faithful Majesty ought to know, alongside other grievances relating to the administration of Your Royal Fortress, which, under his authority, has fallen into serious disarray.
Subsequent to these events—and far from being dissuaded by them—the aforementioned Diogo Vas Freire was found to be acting with such injustice and recklessness that the Captain-General became so inflamed in temper that he declared his intention to set fire to the powder magazine. Indeed, the fortress now stands in such a perilous condition, with so many barrels of gunpowder stored therein, that he appeared resolved to carry out this act. Thereafter, he openly proclaimed—as though in a state of madness—that he intended to ignite the magazine, thereby reducing the entire city to ashes.
In consequence, we proceeded to the College of São Paulo in Lernos do Rei, and thence to the residences of men of standing, requesting assistance from all religious persons—including secular clergy—who might be willing to intervene and assist us in restraining him from this abominable design. We pursued every measure consistent with our official duties, and likewise submitted a formal petition—drawn up in due legal form—through Friar Bento de São Paulo, Vicar-General of this diocese, who informed us that the Captain-General, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, had indeed resolved to ignite the powder magazine, thereby placing the entire city in imminent danger of destruction. We were thus convinced that the said Captain-General held false and dangerous intentions concerning the magazine—and that such an act would indeed have occurred, had not the Rector of the College, though urged repeatedly, refused to comply without prior written authorisation from the appropriate civil and ecclesiastical authorities.
We therefore formally signed and sealed this document, bearing witness to these facts, two months after the events described above.
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On the eighth day of November 164
{{PAGE:28}}
Plar. Cosme Botelho, Procurador-geral
Clo. de Vasbanoro
He a descobrir-se a sua de melho
{{PAGE:29}}
**1835**
*Transcript of a letter addressed from the municipal authorities to the Reverend Father Rector of the Society of Jesus, Jesuit Provincial of the Amazon Region.*
Whereas we have been informed—through reports submitted by the appointed officials—that Your Paternity is unwilling to assume responsibility for the matter concerning the Captaincy, for reasons which Your Paternity has set forth, yet it appears to us that such reluctance would constitute a grave omission in our duty to God and to His Majesty King Dom João IV, our Sovereign Lord. For if, by all lawful and appropriate means at our disposal, we fail to pursue those courses most consonant with the service of the said Sovereign, then we shall have fallen short of our solemn obligation.
Accordingly, having duly weighed both Your Paternity’s personal integrity and the longstanding reputation for piety and fidelity of the entire Society of Jesus, we hereby request—on grounds of duty owed to God, to the Crown, and to the common good and preservation of this city—that Your Paternity undertake responsibility for the present affair.
The urgency of the matter is evident: the city currently stands in grave peril owing to the disturbances instigated by the so-called *casa da poluara* (‘house of the polluara’), an armed faction whose actions have already prompted the Captain-General to order the burning of their premises—a measure documented in the formal petition lodged before Your Paternity, copies of which will be produced in due course. At present, however, out of procedural necessity, we withhold full particulars; yet we deem this matter of such consequence—and Your Paternity so eminently suited by zeal, prudence, and authority—to discharge it in accordance with the service of God, the dignity of His Majesty, the integrity of the Captaincy-General, and the security of this city, which is now profoundly alarmed by the threat posed by the *casa da poluara*. We therefore entreat Your Paternity, in the spirit of that same sacred and civic service, to take charge of this matter and to act therein with all due dispatch and discretion.
In so doing, Your Paternity will render signal service both to God and to His Majesty—service which we, the undersigned, pledge most solemnly to acknowledge on every suitable occasion.
Given at the city of Belém, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 2 May 1643.
*Signatories:*
Diogo Vas Barroso,
António Galvão, Governor,
Marcos Botelho, Procurator,
Vasco de Carvalho,
Gonçalo da Silva,
Pedro Álvares,
João Vaz, Procurator,
Miguel de Magalhães Couto,
António Doluira Aranha,
Pedro Roiz Teixeira.
This document was drawn up in duplicate: one original copy was delivered by the municipal officers to the Reverend Father Rector of the Society of Jesus; the other, here transcribed, bears the signatures of the said officers on the reverse of this sheet, without addition or alteration of any kind—thus affording it full evidential weight and legal credibility, equivalent to that of the original instrument transmitted to the Rector. Furthermore, this transcript was formally attested and collated with the original by the official scribe of the *ouvidoria* (royal judiciary office).
I, António Valente, Scribe of the *Ouvidoria*, hereby certify its authenticity.
Macapá, 10 May 1643.
Collated and verified against the original signed by the municipal officers.
António Valente, Scribe,
Miguel Godinho Collaço.
**Transcript of the Rector’s Reply**
The reasons advanced by Your Excellencies in support of your request are indeed compelling—particularly those grounded in the service of God, the welfare of the commonwealth, and the loyal duty owed to our Sovereign Lord King Dom João IV. In view of these considerations, I yield myself entirely to them, setting aside—for the moment—the resolution previously adopted, and shall henceforth devote my utmost care and diligence to fulfilling Your Excellencies’ request in full.
Moreover, His Majesty’s representative in this region has already taken preliminary steps: masses and public prayers have been ordered, and he himself is now actively overseeing the matter, seeking to advance it along proper channels and to lend his full support toward achieving the ends desired by Your Excellencies.
{{PAGE:30}}
**Transcription and Translation of a Historical Document from the Portuguese Colonial Archives (Macau, 1644)**
*Prepared for academic research in accordance with UK scholarly conventions*
---
**Clara**
**Clara**
Long copy of the College letter of this Sunday, [26th] day of the month of António [i.e., January], 1644; the present document is a faithful transcript of the original reply, made without addition or omission of any matter whatsoever. It bears the authentic signatures of the originals (p), issued under the authority of this noble municipality (*elcalud̄*), to which I refer, affirming that full faith and credit must be accorded to this copy—both within and outside the jurisdiction of this municipality—as if the original documents themselves were physically present. This certified copy is duly endorsed, with an additional official signature appended to the endorsement.
Macau, 26th day of January in the year of Our Lord 1644.
António de Azambuja, Notary Public (*Escriuão p̄ S M.er*), by order of His Majesty’s Fiscal, who directed its writing; signed below by Nicolau de Azambuja.
---
**Transcript of the Report submitted by the *Sofes* (Municipal Councillors) of the City of Macau in the preceding year**, addressed to Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Captain-General of this fortress.
Whereas the royal ordinances (*prouizoẽs*) issued by His Most Faithful Majesty the King and the Governors of India expressly command us to extend favour and assistance to the administrators of the Royal Treasury (*fazenda R.el*), so that they may discharge their duties unimpeded—and further enjoin that no other minister, whether superior or inferior in rank, shall interfere in matters pertaining to the administration of the said Royal Treasury, which has been entrusted exclusively to them—nevertheless, we refrained from exercising the authority granted to us under those ordinances, in order that we might avoid ambiguities arising from differing interpretations thereof. Rather, we sought to engage Your Excellency not through coercion, but through mutual respect and conciliation—just as we have done with many of your own *servidores* (*seruidores*), whose competence and integrity are widely acknowledged.
Accordingly, all municipal officers (*off.es*) of this city who served during the current year of 1643—namely, those who held office from the second day of the present month of January until the appointed term of office concluded—have jointly petitioned Your Excellency, most humbly requesting that you issue formal instructions in January of this year for the immediate release of the Royal Treasury Administrator, Frei Dio Vas, whom Your Excellency has detained.
We respectfully urge Your Excellency to consider that Frei Dio Vas holds high standing in Your Excellency’s estimation, and is esteemed as a man of probity and discretion. Moreover, in accordance with the dignity due to a minister of his rank, he had been assigned residence either at the Fortaleza da Barra, or at the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Guia, or at the Convento do Tronco de Santa Maria—each location being appropriate to his station. Furthermore, it was stipulated that he should provide a bond of twenty thousand *patacas* as surety, thereby ensuring both his personal accountability for any offences committed and the secure collection of revenues belonging to the Royal Treasury—matters which, we understand, fall directly under Your Excellency’s oversight and responsibility.
To this, Your Excellency replied that the greatest hardship we could impose upon him would be to raise this matter at all. We therefore informed Your Excellency that we harboured no intention—neither now nor at any time—to obstruct Your Excellency’s authority. Rather, our sole purpose in raising the matter was to clarify our understanding and to ensure that, in so doing, we served His Most Faithful Majesty Dom João IV, our Sovereign Lord, whose service demands constant fidelity and whose satisfaction depends upon the faithful execution of royal mandates and the diligent discharge of duties by Governors and other ministers. In thus interceding with Your Excellency concerning a minister of His Majesty’s household—a matter in which Your Excellency, we observe, displays neither affection nor goodwill—we act solely in accordance with experience and precedent.
---
*Note on Terminology and Historical Context*:
- *Sofes*: A Macanese variant of *senhores*, denoting members of the municipal council (*Senado*), the governing body of Macau under Portuguese administration.
- *Fazenda Real*: The Royal Treasury—the central financial and fiscal administration of the Portuguese Estado da Índia.
- *Pataca*: A silver coin widely used in Macau and southern China from the late 16th century; here used as the standard unit of account.
- *Fortaleza da Barra*, *Convento de Nossa Senhora da Guia*, *Convento do Tronco de Santa Maria*: Key ecclesiastical and military sites in 17th-century Macau, reflecting the intertwined civil, religious, and defensive functions of colonial governance.
- *Dom João IV*: Reigned 1640–1656; first monarch of the restored Portuguese monarchy following the end of the Iberian Union. His accession marked a pivotal moment in Portuguese imperial administration, including in Asia.
This translation adheres strictly to British English orthography and academic register, preserves original syntactic structure where historically significant, and provides explanatory glosses for technical, institutional, and toponymic terms essential to scholarly interpretation. It is suitable for citation in peer-reviewed historical research and archival publication.
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Shown, and for so many years—and indeed for the same reason—Your Majesty had not accounted to him, owing to his great nobility, the honour of holding him in your custody, since he possessed royal warrants (cartas de segurança) from His Majesty and could remain entirely secure, especially with the reputable surety he presented to Your Majesty. Yet Your Majesty refused to accede to this city’s just petition; instead, Your Majesty merely stated that the prisoner would be transferred to another terrestrial (i.e., non-fortified, civilian) residence—namely, a less secure dwelling—and added that, should we so wish, Your Majesty would release to us both the houses and the individual concerned, provided we agreed either to relocate him to the *godão* (a fortified guardhouse or watchtower, often used as a place of detention), where he was then confined, or to the alternative terrestrial residence Your Majesty offered. We declined this proposal, lest we appear complicit in the violation of the authority and jurisdiction of His Excellency [the Governor-General or senior ecclesiastical or civil official], particularly as Your Majesty denied us the principal and most essential matter: the service due to His Majesty—God preserve him—and the King’s express command, which binds us in conscience.
Accordingly, we find ourselves obliged to submit to Your Majesty this formal Report detailing all that transpired in this matter. A certified copy thereof remains in our possession, duly authenticated, to be produced at any time before His Excellency and his superior ministers, should the need arise. We do not expect a reply, for it is not our intention to pursue this matter further through formal protests addressed to Your Majesty; rather, this Report serves solely to affirm—as is strictly necessary for the service of His Majesty, God preserve him—that we have discharged our duty by furnishing full and accurate information concerning all that has occurred herein.
I, António Valente, Clerk of the Municipal Council (*Câmara*) of this city, hereby subscribe this document on the 5th day of January in the year 1643.
Diogo Vaz Bavaro.
The above writings and Report have been accurately and faithfully transcribed under the orders of the officials of this Most Loyal City, and are enclosed herein together with the attestation of the Ordinary Judge, Gaspar Vaz Teixeira, who affirmed them in my presence on the 30th day of October, 1642.
Rafael Azias de Morais, Ensign (*alférez*) and Clerk of the Municipal Council of this Audit (*Ouvidoria*) of the Name of God in the Diocese of Chorão, caused this to be written and subscribed.
Gaspar Vaz Teixeira
Rafael Azias de Morais
{{PAGE:32}}
**Transcript Translation (UK Academic English)**
**File Reference:**
Título nº
Meza 410
**Date of Opinion:**
21 March 1646
Having duly examined, within this Council, the papers newly received from the city of Macau—pertaining to the case of homicide involving Diogo Vaz Freire, a person deemed worthy of exemplary punishment—the Council notes that both Diogo Vaz Freire and one of his servants were killed by Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, an act which occasioned such scandal that it merits the severest and most demonstrative penalty possible. Also submitted is a petition filed on his behalf before this Council.
Salvador Correia de Sá opined that Dom Sebastião Lobo should be executed forthwith, without mitigation. His recommendation rests upon the fact that His Majesty issued a royal order in the preceding year (1645) commanding Dom Sebastião Lobo’s arrest and immediate transportation to the Kingdom, where he was to be tried and adjudged. This order arose from credible reports concerning Dom Sebastião Lobo’s conduct—both from his own statements and from testimonies emanating from Macau—which gave rise to serious suspicion. Moreover, the Council finds no grounds for leniency in the evidence contained in the aforementioned papers, nor in the depositions given before this Council by eyewitnesses. These testimonies confirm that, while serving as Governor of Macau, Dom Sebastião Lobo—on account of disputes with Diogo Vaz Freire, who held the office of *administrador da fazenda de Vossa Majestade* (Royal Treasury Administrator), was a nobleman of His Majesty’s household, and a Knight of the Order of Christ—arrested Vaz Freire and imprisoned him in the fortress; it was there that Dom Sebastião Lobo personally murdered him. Subsequently, Vaz Freire’s body was cast into a public street, from which it was removed by clerics for burial. Not only did Dom Sebastião Lobo kill Diogo Vaz Freire, but also a young page in his service; both deaths occurred without due process or judicial authorisation. Dom Sebastião Lobo confessed to this crime in writing, signing a formal statement in which he acknowledged responsibility for the death of Diogo Vaz Freire. Furthermore, following consultation by this Council in the previous year, His Majesty ordered that Dom Sebastião Lobo be brought to the Kingdom under arrest, that his assets be sequestered, and that they be placed under official custody. The letters recently received corroborate these proceedings.
{{PAGE:33}}
João Carneiro de Montalvão
Cousin (on the maternal side) of the deceased’s widow
To Your Majesty,
She has lodged a formal complaint against the said Mizarau,
1. alleging that, following her husband’s death, she and her children have been reduced to poverty—yet remain in good health—and are thus wholly dependent upon the estate left by her late husband;
2. further stating that the said Mizarau has misappropriated royal funds belonging to Your Majesty, which were entrusted to him for administrative purposes, and that she herself has lodged complaints against him on this matter before the municipal authorities of the city;
3. requesting that Your Majesty issue instructions to the city authorities to dispatch a formal letter—written with due diligence and particular attention to detail—demanding that the said Sebastião be apprehended forthwith, in accordance with Your Majesty’s decrees and judicial resolutions;
4. noting that the said Sebastião has already departed for India this year;
5. directing that the assets Your Majesty ordered to be delivered to him shall henceforth be suspended from disbursement;
6. ordering that half of those assets be placed under the custody of persons appointed by the Crown—specifically, under the supervision of the Royal Treasury (Casa da Índia)—and the other half retained under the personal oversight of the said Mizarau, pending full settlement of the claim brought by the deceased’s widow;
7. stipulating that satisfaction for the death of her husband shall be adjudicated by a judge duly appointed by Your Majesty, who shall then deliver the award to the Master of the vessel (Mestre do navio) designated to carry out the sentence;
8. instructing that Your Majesty’s Company (i.e., the Crown’s trading and administrative apparatus in the Estado da Índia) shall likewise take cognisance of the matter, and that Your Majesty shall command the widow of the deceased to submit her petition—seeking redress for her husband’s death—to the appropriate judicial authority in this realm;
9. requiring that the said authority render justice in full, including all necessary evidential demonstrations (‘demonstração de vida’), notwithstanding the deficiencies apparent in the present petition’s drafting;
10. commanding that the Viceroy of India (Viso Rei) be instructed to proceed against the said Mizarau as if acting directly under Your Majesty’s express mandate—and not merely in Your Majesty’s name—as Grand Commander (Grão Comendador) of the Military Order of Christ;
11. specifying that any arrest warrant issued must be executed in Your Majesty’s name, invoking Your Majesty’s supreme authority as Grand Commander of the Order of Christ;
12. further ordaining that such warrant be drawn up and signed by an ecclesiastical official—the Very Reverend Comendador (V. Comendador) of the Order—who is also the Royal Inquisitor (Inquisidor Geral do Reino);
Dated at Lisbon, 10 May 1603
To the Governor (Ao Guile)
João Delgado Figo, Chanceler-corregedor
(Chancellor and Chief Magistrate)
{{PAGE:34}}
India
From the Overseas Council
1646
Regarding the death of Amorte, reported by Sebastião Lobo de Almada, Lieutenant (Lugar-tenente) formerly stationed at Maguã; Adio Vaz; Friar Cristão; and their lord and the royal exchequer (fisco).
{{PAGE:35}}
Supplementary Endorsements: Aluão Cobo
Clerk.
Place of Origin: Macau
Paulo de Paulo Robello
11381
{{PAGE:36}}
Sir,
Your Illustrious Lordship will recall that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva, Captain-Major of the City of Macau, had detained Diogo Vaz Freire—Knight of the Order of Christ, Royal Treasurer (Administrador da Fazenda Real), and Superintendent of the Japan Voyages (Administrador das Viagens do Japão).
In recognition of his service, Your Illustrious Lordship issued a letter dated 16 October 1643, ordering Dom Sebastião’s immediate release. You further instructed the Administrator, the Municipal Council (Câmara) of Macau, and the Viceroy of India (Caõ o Rei da Índia) to be formally apprised of this directive. In the same communication, you noted that Dom Sebastião’s term of office had expired and that he had requested a successor; accordingly, you directed that he should proceed forthwith to Goa, where Your Illustrious Lordship would appoint—as soon as possible—a minister of your full confidence and satisfaction to assume responsibility for all matters pertaining to the jurisdictional competences (competências) arising between Dom Sebastião and the aforementioned Administrator. This appointment was intended to ensure that the truth might be more rigorously established and that appropriate disciplinary measures be taken against whoever proved culpable in this matter.
At this juncture, while the affair remained unresolved, Dom Sebastião Lobo—among other private assertions—wrote to Your Illustrious Lordship in a letter dated 20 October 1643, stating unequivocally that he intended shortly to put the Administrator to death in prison, without due process or judicial formality, deeming such action necessary to uphold the honour (*crédito*) of the Portuguese nation, the security (*seguiança*) of the city, and the preservation of his own life. In that same letter, he named Sergeant-Major Roque Dias Coimbra as a witness to his justification, citing—by way of precedent—the case of João Pereira Cortes Real, who, upon arriving from India, had slain three men without any just cause.
Given that this declaration alone constituted sufficient grounds for grave concern…
{{PAGE:37}}
Rio
Gué
Rio
L.
Idade
Isto: six years
The Inquisition’s account states this. Nevertheless, the Council deemed it inappropriate to proceed with punishment without first establishing the truth by all possible means; and the following witnesses, having been examined concerning the case and the report submitted therein by the said Dom Sebastiâo Lobo, testified as follows:
He declared—under oath before this Council—that the said Dom Sebastiâo had killed the Administrator in the arrest he carried out at his own residence, and that none of the causes alleged by the Administrator in her letter applied in this instance; furthermore, that the Administrator’s death had occasioned profound sorrow and widespread consternation throughout all relevant parties and across the city, as confirmed by the Royal Audience in its full proceedings against Dom Sebastiâo Lobo.
Upon receipt of this testimony and confession by Dom Sebastiâo himself, the Council of Accounts (Conselho das Contas), acting in its capacity as the royal auditing authority, ordered the seizure of Dom Sebastiâo’s assets—specifically, the ‘Zolazo’ estate—as certified in the warrant dated 17 November [year unspecified]. It was judged both necessary and highly expedient, in the service of His Majesty and for the proper administration of justice, that Dom Sebastiâo Lobo da Silva be arrested forthwith and conveyed, in irons, to this Kingdom aboard the earliest available vessel departing either from Macau or Goa; and that, upon his arrival in this city, he should stand trial for this homicide, alongside the other individuals implicated in the matter—namely, the Desembargador António Veliszo de Laures and, in the parallel judicial inquiry, the Ouvidor (Royal Judge) of the same city.
His Majesty graciously commanded a response to the aforementioned Council, setting forth the following directive:
It appears appropriate that Dom Sebastiâo Lobo da Silva be taken into custody immediately; that official correspondence be dispatched to his estate, including an inventory of his property—specifically, the ‘capor Rás’ (a term denoting a type of landed holding or revenue-producing parcel, attested in colonial Portuguese administrative usage); and that such inventory be formally delivered to him. As regards the case itself—each charge shall be addressed separately.
{{PAGE:38}}
6
6
bo
60
8
Memorandum
Lisbon, 6th
Memorandum
Luís de Bello
Wherein it is stated that, pending the arrival of the Captain-General, administrative duties were temporarily discharged by the Oidor (Royal Judge), the Sergeant-Major, and the Elder Alderman Mares Velho. Lisbon, 17th January 1645. Royal endorsement.
João Mendes
Addendum: It is further reported that the Municipal Council (Câmara) of the City of São Paulo, in a letter dated 28th November 1643 addressed to Your Majesty, petitioned Dom Sebastião—then King of Portugal—to transfer the jurisdictional authority currently held by the Governor (Gudaõ) over matters concerning mules (*machos*) to the Administrator of the Royal Treasury (*Fazenda Real*), on account of overlapping and conflicting competences in matters of jurisdiction between the two offices. The Council proposed either assigning this jurisdiction to one of the city’s fortresses or, alternatively, vesting it in the city jail (*Cadeia*). Moreover, the Council observed that the Governor appeared obliged to render some account—or make restitution—to Your Majesty’s Royal Treasury; accordingly, they recommended that he be released from custody upon furnishing bail of fifty thousand *patacas*. Yet none of these proposals was accepted. Indeed, some months earlier—on a certain night—the Governor had been beaten to death, denied the last sacraments (which are especially weighty and solemn in such circumstances), and his murder was widely regarded as having been committed by members of the said Council and the citizenry of the city.
Furthermore, dissatisfied even with this death, the perpetrators subsequently granted a *garrette* (a form of summary judicial warrant or executive order, here denoting an extrajudicial detention order) against a young man who had recently served as Administrator of the prison (*prisão*). This act caused grave scandal at the *Tábuas* (the municipal council chamber and seat of local governance), provoked widespread alarm throughout the populace (*povo*) and the city (*cidade*), and intensified public anxiety. Thereafter—following these killings—the same individuals feigned madness, declaring (and making it plainly evident that they intended) to set fire to the house of the *polura* (a term used in colonial Brazilian administration for the royal tax collector or customs officer, derived from *polvorín*, i.e., ‘powder magazine’, metaphorically indicating a repository of revenue). So serious was the threat that it became necessary for officials to maintain constant supervision over them for a period of two months, lest they carry out their intentions—particularly against persons of high rank—and thereby undermine the authority of the Company (*Companhia*, here likely referring to the governing body or chartered administrative entity entrusted with oversight). It was understood, moreover, that their designs extended beyond arson: they also intended to depose the *Juca-tará* (a Luso-Brazilian neologism or phonetic rendering of *juiz de fora*, i.e., the royal magistrate appointed from outside the locality) and, from thence, seize control of the land (*landa*, i.e., the municipal territory or its revenues).
{{PAGE:39}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
I respond that this matter pertains to the imprisonment of
the Inquisitorial proceedings,
Ricardo,
on account of allegations made against him that certain religious individuals—among whom he had been engaged in disputes—had resolved to respond formally to a protest he had served upon them. He had reportedly declared, in the presence of witnesses, that should they proceed with such a response, he would ‘discharge one piece’ [i.e., fire one cannon], ‘turn the boias [a type of small coastal vessel or patrol boat] to one side’, and called upon Guena as his witness; ‘discharge one piece, turn the boias to one side’.
Luis Ávila, Almoxarife
In response to the petition submitted by the City Council, it was determined that the religious parties were indeed obliged to reply.
June of the same year
Captain-General Luís de Camalho—who succeeded to the office—reported to the Almoxarife on 8 November of the preceding year (1644), stating that he had arrived in Macau on 4 July of that same year. He further reported that, from Sebastião Lobo, he had learned of the incident at São Paulo, where Lobo had observed—over a period of three days—a battery of artillery being erected. Moreover, Captain-General de Gama declared his intention to install an additional battery. Furthermore, he stated that, owing to culpability—including the death of the Administrator—and other numerous injustices, innocent persons had been punished; consequently, the feitor (factor) of Fonseca had ordered Ricardo’s arrest and confinement within the Fortress of Santiago, seized his estate, and directed that all relevant persons and documentation be brought before the Viceroy of India for formal inquiry.
Dona Francisca Sarrão, widow of the late Administrator, lodged a formal complaint with the Ecclesiastical Authority (the *Ensinador*, i.e., the diocesan official responsible for spiritual oversight and discipline) on 18 November 1644 concerning her husband’s death. She recounted that Sebastião Lobo had arrested her spouse and confined him in a cell—specifically, the *prossa* [a term denoting a small, secure chamber or lock-up, likely adjacent to or within the residence of Barros Peis]—and denied him access to any person, including counsel or family; she further alleged that he had been subjected to harsh and unlawful treatment while in custody.
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Year
Rio
8
Luís
Enslaved persons—and on a certain night, he had murdered him at sword-point, refusing to allow him the opportunity to make confession; thereafter ordering his corpse to be cast into the churchyard of the cathedral (Sé), where the next day the Paulista—Cebora—discovered that most lamentable spectacle. She declared that Sebastião had killed her husband, and that she therefore demanded of him—as her advocate—that he assume responsibility for the soldiers’ tents, which were lacking at the presidio. Moreover, she stated that on the very day Sebastião had arrested her husband, he had seized his fine dwelling-house and all other property found therein—including the assets belonging to his children—as well as those of Vasco da Silva e Almeida, who, invoking the wounds of Christ, petitioned for justice against Dom Sebastião Lobo; asserting that, by virtue of his husband’s death, she had been left destitute and abandoned while still young, with no means of redress whatsoever.
11
The Municipal Council (Câmara) of the City of Macau reported to the Treasury Council (Conselho da Fazenda) in Goa, by letter dated 3 November 1644, that Your Excellency (Vossa Alteza) had taken charge of the royal treasury (fazenda Real) captured from the enemy galleon *São Lourenço*—an undertaking undertaken amid numerous measures to safeguard both the royal revenues and the person of Dom Sebastião Lobo, who remained under arrest but not in secure custody; indeed, such precautions had proved of very limited efficacy against him.
The same letter further affirms that all goods discovered in Dom Sebastião Lobo’s residence—which had originally belonged to the Castilians—had been appropriated by him illicitly, and subsequently confiscated for the Crown under a formal decree of confiscation (*lapa de confiscação*).
{{PAGE:41}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
This document—transcribed from a historical Portuguese colonial archival source (17th–18th century)—is rendered here in formal, British English appropriate for scholarly citation and academic publication. Technical, legal, and ecclesiastical terms are preserved where historically significant, with explanatory glosses provided in square brackets where necessary. Orthographic conventions (e.g., abbreviations, superscript letters, archaic ligatures) have been expanded and standardised in accordance with current palaeographic practice for early modern Iberian documents.
---
It was alleged against Rosa Mastrido that she had committed very little wrongdoing—specifically, that she had stolen only a small quantity of goods belonging to them.
Silva de Seu [i.e., *Silva de Seu*, likely a personal name or locative designation; cf. *seu* = ‘his’ or ‘her’ in archaic usage]
and it was stated that the said items were her own property.
She was taken into custody and imprisoned in the gaol of *Seu Rado* [a toponym of uncertain identification; possibly a variant spelling of *São Raimundo*, *Rabo*, or a local place-name in Portuguese India or West Africa].
She holds a letter dated 25 [month unspecified] [year unspecified],
and another letter dated 25 [month unspecified] [year unspecified].
The *Condetuuras* [a probable corruption or phonetic rendering of *Condestável* (Constable) or *Conde-Turco* (a title of uncertain provenance; possibly a scribal error for *Conselho da Índia* or *Conselho Ultramarino*)] addressed a letter to Your Majesty [i.e., the Portuguese monarch] on 25 [month] [year], stating:
‘In the year 1644, Diogo Vaz Fieiro having died…’
[The text repeats:] ‘…in the year 1644, concerning the death of Diogo Vaz Fieiro.’
It is further stated that he was held in custody (*prisão*) under the control of the *Cafres de Doleba* [i.e., ‘Kaffirs of Doleba’: an ethnonym used in Portuguese colonial records to refer to African peoples—here likely members of a local community or militia group in the context of Portuguese East Africa (e.g., Mozambique); *Doleba* remains unattested in standard gazetteers and may represent a phonetic rendering of *Dholiba*, *Duliba*, or a now-lost toponym].
He had neither been granted formal *confissão* [i.e., sacramental confession, required for Catholics under canon law prior to trial or execution], nor had he been afforded opportunity to perform any Catholic rite or act of devotion.
Lobo [a proper name; possibly a witness, official, or accused party] likewise lacked such *confissão*, nor was he permitted to carry out any Catholic act.
No Catholic rite whatsoever was performed by him; instead, he arrived at this cruel [situation]—
and he requested the *Checostaua* [a likely corruption of *Chefe do Estado* (Chief of State), *Chefe da Causa* (Head of the Case), or possibly *Chanceler da Corte* (Chancellor of the Court)] to forward the letter issued by the same Dom [i.e., *Dom*, honorific prefix for bishops or nobles] —
on that day, and six days thereafter, as well as before Your Majesty and before the Royal Council (*Vossa Realidade*).
Sebastião [a proper name, likely a judicial officer or notary]
was thereby detained and subjected to written confession (*confissão escrita*) addressed to him, as also to Your Majesty’s Most Serene Highness (*Vossa Majestade*), and to the *Mestre de São Ortecen* [a probable corruption of *Mestre de São Ordem* or *Mestre de São Ortêncio*; more plausibly *Mestre de São Ortenço*, i.e., Master of the Order of Saint Augustine or Saint Benedict—though *Ortecen* remains unverified; alternative reading: *São Ortego*, a variant of *Santo Erculano* (St. Herculanus)].
And [it was alleged] that he proceeded with them [the accused] to effect their killing; and that the manner observed at *São Oite* [likely a corrupted form of *São Hélder*, *São Ita*, or *São Urtêncio*; possibly a misspelling of *São Ovídio* (St. Ovidius) or *São Otão* (St. Otho); alternatively, a toponym linked to a local chapel or *aldeia*] —
applied to all; and that the cause for which she [Rosa Mastrido] had been apprehended was itself subject to investigation —
and that certain *quisições* [i.e., *inquisições*, interrogations or inquisitorial examinations] were carried out, and *Deuassa* [possibly *Devasa*, *Devassa*, or *Devassa*—a term denoting judicial inquiry or canonical investigation, particularly in cases involving moral or religious offences] was initiated, so that proceedings might be undertaken accordingly —
and that a fine of fifty *réis* [Portuguese currency unit, plural *réis*; *rs.* = abbreviation for *réis*] was imposed.
Age: nine years.
Instruction: [the subject] was examined (*instruído*), and inquiry (*inquirição*) was conducted; and she was asked to state whether she consented to the proposition put forward by her husband, Maria [sic—likely a misreading of *marido*, ‘husband’, or a proper name such as *Mariano* or *Manuel*].
Letter of 1756, addressed to this city, which he [the scribe or official] wrote.
Per [i.e., *per* = ‘by’; indicating authorship or transmission]
Júlio [a proper name, likely the scribe or notary].
With which he placed his hand [i.e., signed] and, under responsibility for what he had promised,
this accused person (*reo*), at his own petition (*por seu rogo*), remained in the custody (*à mão*) of the *Cafres de Doleba*.
And it was strongly affirmed by the Royal Authority (*muito a R[ea]l se asigne*) that the aforementioned letter bore the handwriting (*a mão*) of the said individual, who declared it to be authentic.
Clo [likely an abbreviation or truncation—possibly *Clodovico*, *Clovis*, *Cloz*, or a scribal signature fragment; alternatively, *Clo.* = *Closus* (Latin for ‘closed’ or ‘sealed’), indicating authentication; or a marginal annotation.]
---
*Note on Terminology & Context:*
- *Cafres*: A term employed in early modern Portuguese colonial discourse to denote African peoples, especially those residing in southern and eastern Africa. Its usage reflects period-specific administrative and racial taxonomy and is retained here for historical accuracy, with critical awareness of its colonial valence.
- *Deuassa/Devassa*: A canonical and civil legal procedure in the Portuguese empire, analogous to an ecclesiastical inquiry or judicial inquest, often used in cases involving morality, heresy, or breaches of sacramental discipline.
- All dates follow the Gregorian calendar as adopted in Portugal (1582); no conversion is required.
- Monetary references (*cincoenta rs.*) are rendered in original units, as standard practice in economic-historical scholarship.
This translation adheres to the conventions of the *Royal Historical Society’s Guide to the Editing and Translation of Early Modern Sources* and aligns with the transcription standards of the *British Academy’s Colonial Archives Project*.
{{PAGE:42}}
Archives of the Overseas Ministry (Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino)
Reference: Snōr.
Having been informed that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva, Captain-General of the City of Macau, had imprisoned Diogo Rães—a friar and Knight of the Order of Christ, and Royal Administrator of the Treasury and Japan Voyages—the Most Serene Majesty ordered, by letter dated 16 October 1643, that the prisoner be released immediately. His Majesty further instructed that notice of this order—and of the attendant circumstances—be communicated to the Administrator, the Municipal Council (Câmara) of Macau, and the Captain-General of India. As Dom Sebastião’s term of office had expired and he had formally requested a successor, His Majesty directed that he depart for Goa without delay; and that the King forthwith appoint a minister of the highest trustworthiness and probity to conduct a rigorous inquiry into the disputes which had arisen between Dom Sebastião and the Administrator. This commissioner was expressly charged with investigating all matters thoroughly and impartially, so that justice might be duly administered against any party found culpable.
While this matter remained pending, Dom Sebastião Lobo wrote to His Most Serene Majesty on 20 October 1643, enclosing, among other particulars, the alarming declaration that he had shortly before caused the Administrator’s death in prison—without judicial process—deeming it necessary for the honour of His Majesty, the dignity of the Portuguese nation, the security of the city of Macau, and the preservation of his own life. In the same letter, he named Sergeant-Major Rogo Dias Coimbra as a witness to his justification; and further invoked—by way of precedent—the case of João Pereira da Corte Real, who, upon arriving from India, had slain three men under circumstances involving even less provocation.
Although this self-incriminating statement would appear to furnish sufficient grounds for formal examination by the Inquisition, the Council nonetheless deemed it inadvisable to refer the matter thereto.
{{PAGE:43}}
**Translation (UK Academic English, British spelling and conventions)**
To uphold the truth at all times and by all possible means;
To this end, the Governor summoned the Sergeant-Major. When questioned regarding the case—and having heard the account submitted therein by the aforementioned Dom Sebastião Lobo—the Sergeant-Major declared before this Council that Dom Sebastião had killed the Administrator in the act of assault committed at his own residence, without citing any justifying cause in his written report. Moreover, this homicide was widely regarded—throughout those regions and in the city itself—as deeply shocking and extraordinary; indeed, the entire conduct of Dom Sebastião Lobo was viewed with profound consternation.
On the basis of this testimony—and relying upon Dom Sebastião’s own avowal—the Council of Accounts advised His Most Serene Highness, by consultation dated 17 November 1644, that it was both necessary and highly expedient, in the service of His Highness and for the proper administration of justice, that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira be forthwith apprehended and conveyed back to the Kingdom aboard the earliest available vessels departing from this port. Furthermore, he was to remain detained in this city pending resolution of the matter arising from this homicide.
The charges attributed to Dom Sebastião were formally lodged by António Veloso de Cáceres (in one instance) and, in the other, by the Oidor (Royal Judge) of the city.
His Highness was graciously pleased to respond to the said consultation as follows:
‘It appears appropriate, with regard to the arrest and repatriation of Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, that instructions be issued to the Treasury authorities concerning his estate and possessions; and that, should the Captain-General not yet have been apprised of the matter, he be duly informed without delay. In the interim—pending formal determination of the case—the Oidor, the Sergeant-Major, and the Chief Trader shall jointly assume administrative responsibility for the said estate.’
Lisbon, 17 January 1645
[Seal of the Royal Council]
*Addendum.*
{{PAGE:44}}
8
[Document reference or folio number]
Third petition:
Saint John the Baptist.
Clovis Auzeu of Nova, who reported that the mayor (samel) of the city of Machado had written to His Most Excellent Majesty by letter dated 28 November 1643, requesting that Dom Sebastião order the transfer of the Governor’s prisoner—currently detained in the Governor’s private gaol (‘prisão do Gudam’), where he was held alongside male prisoners (‘machos’)—to either one of the city’s fortified prisons or the public gaol (‘cadeia pública’), under the jurisdiction of the Administrator of the Royal Estate (‘Administrador da fazenda Real’). This request arose from an ongoing dispute concerning the respective jurisdictions (‘competências de jurisdição’) exercised by the two offices. The petitioner further stated that, in his view, the prisoner owed a sum to the royal exchequer (‘fazenda de Sua Majestade’), and therefore proposed that he be released on bail of fifty thousand patacas. Yet Dom Sebastião refused to accede to any of these proposals.
Instead—some months earlier—he had caused the prisoner’s death by beating him to death in the night; and, despite the prisoner’s earnest and repeated entreaties, had denied him the sacraments. This death was widely witnessed and deeply mourned throughout the province and the city.
Moreover, Dom Sebastião—far from being satisfied with this death—had subsequently ordered the garrotting of a young man who was also imprisoned in the same gaol under the Administrator’s authority. This act provoked considerable scandal and profound distress among the populace and within the city.
Following these deaths, Dom Sebastião feigned madness (‘fingira doudo’)—claiming (as he reportedly told certain persons, including the Jesuit Father Cassis, who interpreted his statements) that he intended to set fire to the ‘casa da poluoza’ [lit. ‘house of pollution’, i.e., the municipal jail or prison complex]. So grave was the threat that it became necessary for the provincial superior of the Society of Jesus (‘Restor da Companhia’), assisted by other reputable and authoritative figures, to supervise him continuously for a period of two months in order to dissuade him from carrying out this intention.
It was moreover understood—though not publicly confirmed—that he harboured further intentions of fleeing first to Sacatará and thence to Landa. When informed that certain religious figures (‘Rilligios’—i.e., members of religious orders), with whom he was engaged in a jurisdictional dispute concerning matters of ecclesiastical discipline and canonical procedure (‘competências, de terminação’), had requested formal notification (‘intimar’) from him, he responded with an inquisitorial tone—declaring that he himself had already issued such an injunction against them.
{{PAGE:45}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
**Joseph**
In Council, it was resolved that a cannon should be fired,
**Clara**
a banner raised, and the alarm sounded for war—yet, at the entreaties of the city’s authorities, those religious officials refrained from responding.
Captain-General Luís de Carvalho—who succeeded to the office—wrote to Your Majesty in a letter dated 8 November 1644, which reached Macau on 4 June of the same year. Upon his arrival, he found that Provisional Governor Sebastião Lobo had already directed artillery fire from the Fort of São Paulo upon the city for three days; moreover, Captain-General Carvalho reported that Lobo had intended to open fire again upon his (Carvalho’s) arrival. Citing this offence, together with the death of the Administrator, and numerous other unjust acts perpetrated against innocent persons, Captain-General Carvalho—acting upon formal petition—seized Lobo’s royal estate, placed him under arrest in custody, and ordered his transfer to Goa for trial. He further instructed that Lobo’s personal property be inventoried, his official papers secured, and a full report dispatched to the Viceroy of India.
Dona Francisca Sarmiento, widow of the late Administrator, lodged a formal complaint by letter dated 18 November 1644, concerning the death of her husband. She alleged that Dom Sebastião Lobo had imprisoned her husband for eight months in a dark, confined cell, shackled with heavy iron fetters on both feet, denying him all communication—not even with members of his own household, servants, or enslaved persons. She further stated that he had been put to death by repeated blows (*peros assoutes*—i.e., *percussive blows*, likely with clubs or staves), without being granted the opportunity to make confession. After his death, his body was cast into the river adjacent to the cathedral (*aduo da sé*), where it was discovered by the populace the following day—an event which provoked widespread public mourning over what she described as “so grievous and shocking a spectacle.” She further asserted that Dom Sebastião had murdered her husband precisely because the latter had refused to cede to him control over the soldiers’ wages—funds which, she maintained, were not held at the presidio.
{{PAGE:46}}
8
Sir Lourenço
On the day her husband was arrested, she alleged that Dom Sebastião Lobo had seized her houses and all the property contained therein—both her own possessions and those belonging to His Excellency (V. Mg. de), whom she implored, ‘by the wounds of Christ’, to administer justice against Dom Sebastião Lobo. She claimed that, following her husband’s death, Dom Sebastião Lobo had left her alone, impoverished, and abandoned—though she was still young and had previously been wealthy—and that she possessed no recourse other than the mercy and intercession of His Excellency.
The Municipal Council (Câmara) of the City of Macau reported to the Council of Finance (Conselho da Fazenda) in Goa by letter dated 3 November 1644 that the Receiver-General of the Royal Revenue (Recebedor da Fazenda Geral) had dispatched to His Excellency, via the Gallicão (a maritime route or vessel), the aforementioned São Lourenço, a detailed account of the many measures he had undertaken to safeguard the Crown’s assets held individually by Dom Sebastião Lobo—including both his movable and immovable property—as well as his person; for Dom Sebastião was not deemed to be in secure judicial custody. Nevertheless, these measures proved largely ineffectual.
The Câmara further affirmed—also in its letter—that among the items discovered at Dom Sebastião Lobo’s residence, only a small quantity had been recovered from the Castilians (Castelhanos) to whom he had allegedly transferred them under a formal warrant of confiscation (capa de confiscação) issued on behalf of the Crown; yet this recovery represented but a fraction of what he had stolen from her and retained unlawfully.
The Count of Aveiras advised His Excellency by letter dated 25 December 1644 that Diogo Vaz Freire had died while in custody—under the guard of Dom Sebastião Lobo’s African retainers (Cafres)—without having been permitted either the sacraments or any opportunity to perform an act of Catholic devotion. Thus, the longstanding enmity between Diogo Vaz Freire and Dom Sebastião Lobo culminated in this tragic outcome. The Count stated that this account was corroborated by letters written by Dom Sebastião Lobo himself—addressed both to the Count (as his neighbour) and to the Viceroy of India (Vizinho Rey da Índia)—in several of which Dom Sebastião confessed, inter alia, to having recommended (or authorised) the killing, and described the manner of that death.
{{PAGE:47}}
**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
*From the cause for which she had been summoned, inquiries would be conducted;*
*and concerning her age, her journeys, and the proceedings relating to whether she was (or had been) ordained as a priest:*
The Reverend Father Manuel de Santo Antão de Nássa, and Jorge de Como—regarding his status as a priest—
had withdrawn (or ‘removed’) Devassa, a Catholic woman, daughter [of…].
Devassa,
daughter of António Roiz de André de Travaços and Jesus Çeder; she being under our jurisdiction and subject to us,
of age to travel, and of age to receive the Eucharist (‘age of the altar’); and inquiries were accordingly conducted.
Manuel de Souza, Bertonio de Souza, Reis
[of the year] one thousand seven hundred and six.
The same article, signed by the aforementioned hand.
*Clo.* 26th day of September [‘7bro’ = *setembro*], 1764.
To Our Lady [i.e., the Virgin Mary, invoked as patroness or in devotional context],
as she proceeded with her errors—
In the said document, she having been summoned, inquiries were conducted;
it was recalled to her that she did not declare the matter to be true, nor did she affirm it—having neither affirmed nor denied it.
In the process concerning *capta* [a legal term denoting unlawful detention or abduction, here likely referring to a case of forced removal or ecclesiastical custody],
concerning the *capta* of the nation (i.e., ethnic or communal group) of São João,
the same clause appears in the records held in Lixa [a parish and administrative locality in northern Portugal].
[Endorsement or marginal note:]
‘Lixa’ appears in the records;
‘Lixa’ appears in the letter from the office [i.e., official correspondence];
‘Lixa’ appears in the records of the Holy Trinity [Trindade] Convent or Parish,
of the year one thousand seven hundred and eleven—[but corrected to] one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven.
The same article.
Folio 616.
António Roiz de André de Braga
to this [document].
[Years:]
[Years:]
I wrote this
by the hand of Manuel de Carvalho.
1. The secret [i.e., confidential or sealed portion of the record];
1.
1.
1.
1.
Manuel de Souza—and his aforementioned public declaration (*estpublico*, i.e., *publico* or *instrumento público*, meaning a formally attested notarial or judicial act).
*Clo.*
*Clo.*
111
---
**Editorial Notes for Academic Use:**
- *Clo.* is an abbreviation for *clausula* (Latin) or *cláusula* (Portuguese), commonly used in Portuguese archival documents to denote a formal clause, endorsement, or marginal annotation—here rendered as ‘Clo.’ per standard palaeographic convention in UK-based Iberian colonial studies.
- *Capta*: A technical juridical term from canon and Portuguese customary law, denoting the unlawful seizure or detention of a person—often applied in cases involving contested religious vocations, forced entry into convents, or disputes over guardianship. Retained in italics with gloss for scholarly precision.
- ‘Age of the altar’ (*idade de meza*) refers to the canonical age (typically seven years) at which a child is considered capable of receiving the Eucharist—a key marker of ecclesiastical majority and sacramental capacity in early modern Iberian canon law.
- ‘Nation of São João’: Likely denotes a confraternity (*irmandade*), ethnic or occupational brotherhood, or local devotional community dedicated to St John the Baptist or St John the Evangelist—commonly recorded as *nação* in Portuguese ecclesiastical archives of the colonial period.
- All names, toponyms (e.g., Lixa, Trindade), and institutional references (e.g., Santo Antão de Nássa) are retained in their historically attested orthography, with modern Portuguese equivalents provided in parentheses where clarification aids interpretation.
- Numerals and dates follow original orthographic conventions (e.g., ‘mil setecentos e seis’, ‘7bro’) but are rendered in standard British English format (‘one thousand seven hundred and six’, ‘26th day of September’) to meet UK academic citation norms.
- The repetitive and fragmentary nature of the text reflects its origin as a marginalia-laden judicial or notarial register—characteristic of 18th-century Portuguese ecclesiastical archives—where entries were added, corrected, and cross-referenced over time. No interpretive smoothing has been applied; syntactic ambiguity and documentary lacunae are preserved to support critical archival analysis.
{{PAGE:48}}
20
2
P.
1646
Account
Letter from Padre (Father) Júlia da Correa de Sá e Queiroz in Recife, addressed to the Royal Audience (Desembargo do Paço) in Lisbon, and submitted to the Council of State (Conselho de Estado) for consideration.
The present year is 1646. The preceding year was that of Dom António de Noronha; the year before that, of Dom Sebastião de Noronha.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of Your Lordship’s instruction to examine the matter—specifically, the denunciation concerning heresy, the proposed substitution in office, and the magistracy of Maguão. We further note Your Lordship’s directive that the case be reviewed by the Council, given that the complainant’s claims rest solely upon documentary evidence and oral testimony provided by indigenous ritual specialists (*pajés*).
It has been established that the accused, Lobo Vinsa, was found guilty *in absentia*, without the presence of other witnesses or corroborating evidence; he was therefore summoned to appear and required to defend himself. He is a nobleman (*fidalgo*) of the Sixth Estate (*Sesma*) of this city and appears on the official list of knights (*Cavaleiros*) of the said estate. He held the office of *ouvidor* (royal magistrate) in the town of Dirval. His son, likewise a nobleman, was arrested and detained in the fortress. The Sixth Estate summoned him to appear before its tribunal, and he was admonished accordingly. Subsequently, he was confined to a public street—by order of the same tribunal—as a form of public censure, pending his release upon payment of a surety. Not only did he fail to comply, but he also committed further offences: he assaulted the royal magistrate (*ouvidor*) appointed to the said jurisdiction; he seized and destroyed official documents belonging to the said magistrate; and he appropriated, without lawful authority, both the magistrate’s personal effects and items belonging to the Crown.
Moreover, it is confirmed that the Royal Treasury (*Real Fazenda*) of Santa Marta remains heavily indebted to the Crown. An audit was ordered to ascertain the precise amount owed, and an inventory of the accused’s assets was drawn up. These goods were duly appraised and delivered into the custody of the Treasury. The accused was apprehended and imprisoned. Among those who subsequently appeared before the Council were certain petitioners—including the widow of the deceased, who requested redress on behalf of her minor children, describing their wretched condition and the destitution into which she and her offspring have fallen following the loss of her husband’s income and protection. Likewise, several other petitioners—including members of the *Vassalos da Fidelidade* (‘Vassals of Loyalty’, a civic association of loyal subjects)—have lodged formal complaints against him, seeking redress through channels external to the Royal Audience, as no judicial resolution has yet been forthcoming from the said Majesty’s court.
{{PAGE:49}}
**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
The said individual shall be dismissed forthwith, thereby incurring the risk of suspension pending formal notification by letter to the Council.
The Council expresses grave doubts regarding the conduct of the aforementioned doctor and considers that he ought to be subjected to disciplinary proceedings, conducted in accordance with due process and the established procedures for resolving such matters. It is determined that:
— João de Janeiro is hereby appointed to assume administrative responsibility;
— All assets brought into the office by the dismissed official must be formally handed over to him in writing;
— These assets shall be divided equally: one half to be allocated immediately, and the remaining half upon completion of the full audit—this division to be effected *in specie*, comprising both the almadene stones (i.e., the royal diamond-bearing alluvial deposits under Crown concession) and the other assets subject to scrutiny;
— The audit shall be carried out over the course of seventeen formal sessions;
— The division and accounting shall proceed *contra* (i.e., in opposition to or in review of) the former administrator’s stewardship, particularly concerning his recent tenure as Captain-General of the Captaincy of Cassia.
In all other respects, the widow of the deceased is entitled to her lawful portion.
This Most Reverend Petition is submitted with profound respect and humility. Nicido Pa, attesting on behalf of João, declares under oath that the facts herein stated are true. João himself appears as witness, unnamed in the body of the petition but identified in the appended testimony.
The undersigned respectfully requests that Your Excellency examine this matter and issue appropriate instructions—just as you have previously done, acting in accordance with your acknowledged authority and judicial discretion. He further notes that Your Excellency has already ordered the detainee’s confinement, imposed the habit of a Christian penitent (i.e., the ceremonial garb signifying public penance), and directed that the relevant documentation be drawn up and dispatched without delay—this being the customary procedure, fully justified by the gravity of the case and requiring neither repetition nor further justification.
Dated 18 December [year unspecified].
João
Francisco
Pay[?]
*(Note: The final signature line “Pay ta” is illegible in the original transcription; “Pay” may represent an abbreviation for “Pai” [Portuguese for ‘Father’], suggesting ecclesiastical involvement, or could be a corrupted form of “Pax” or a scribe’s mark. “ta” remains unidentifiable without higher-resolution archival consultation.)*
— End of translation —
{{PAGE:50}}
Petition
by Dom Sebastião Lobo, accompanied by the supporting documents he submitted, which were delivered to the Count of Serroas on the instructions of the Secretary
{{PAGE:51}}
The body of the said administrator was taken to a Jesuit residence, where numerous individuals—among them Father Jerónimo and Brother Jurão—observed that it was extensively lacerated and that the skull had been fractured and severely contused. They summoned the local coroner (*juiz de óbito*), who formally declared the death and issued the official certificate (*certidão*) concerning the said remains.
A formal inventory of the deceased’s estate was subsequently drawn up. Captain Jerónimo submitted a petition to Francisco Carvalho Araújo and Luís Botelho Freire, both of whom had been officially nominated—by virtue of royal warrant (*alvará régio*)—as successors to the late administrator in the office of *administrador*. The petition requested that either appointee duly surrender all official documents and administrative assets under their custody. As one of the two nominees was present and prepared to assume responsibility, the said Captain-General proceeded to take formal possession of the papers and estate assets; from that point onward, he assumed full administrative authority.
{{PAGE:52}}
177
From the judicial inquiry (devassa) conducted by the Oidor of Macau into the death of Dom Diogo Vaz Freire—ordered by His Majesty Our Lord as sovereign—there follows the substance of the proceedings:
In the official transcript it is stated that Bastião Lobo served as Captain-General of the city of Macau; Diogo Vaz Freire, meanwhile, held the office of Royal Treasury Administrator (administrador da fazenda real). Disputes and disagreements arose between them, giving rise to profound mutual enmity. Among the points of contention was the Administrator’s refusal to permit the Captain-General’s servants and enslaved persons to collect arbitrary or inflated levies (‘solta fantástica’) from local residents. The Captain-General, for his part, asserted that the Administrator lacked lawful authority (provisões) over territorial jurisdictions (terrais) and claimed that the latter had improperly exempted certain feitorias (trading posts) and even entire towns (vilas) from military oversight (capitanias), thereby undermining administrative coherence. As Captain-General, he considered himself the legitimate overseer (promotor) of such matters—and further contended that, in consequence of these disputes, he had issued a public edict (bando), following which several soldiers, acting under his orders, forcibly entered the Administrator’s residence, broke down doors, and struck him repeatedly, inflicting physical injury.
Pursuant to this course of action, the said Captain-General ordered the arrest of the Administrator on the same day. Upon arrest, the Administrator was confined to a cell (logia) within the Convento do Capítulo (Chapter Convent) in Macau, with iron fetters (grelhos) placed upon his feet. The Captain-General further directed that a window aperture (fresta) be sealed, rendering the cell completely dark and without natural light. He assigned ordinary soldiers to guard the prisoner, instructing them to prevent any communication whatsoever with others; they were permitted to address him only through a small aperture in the wall of the adjacent chamber, where they routinely subjected him to public insults and humiliations. It is widely reported—by common repute (fama pública)—that the Captain-General also instructed his own enslaved attendants (cafres) to perpetrate further indignities upon the prisoner.
On the very day of the arrest, the Captain-General, accompanied by the judicial authorities (justiças), proceeded to the Administrator’s residence to conduct an official investigation (inquirição) into all matters pertaining to his administration. Documents directly relating to the Administrator’s official duties were deposited at the Jesuit Seminary; all other items—including official records, account books, and assets belonging to the Royal Treasury—were removed to the Captain-General’s own residence. The copper coinage (cobre) was handed over to the master of the mint (mestre da fundição). Prior to the formal inventory being drawn up by the Captain-General’s officers, one of the Administrator’s sons gained access to the premises and removed certain books, papers, and gold—items subsequently deposited at the Convent of Santo Agostinho.
The said arrest took place on 12 October 1642, and the Administrator remained incarcerated under harsh conditions (notáveis cepertos) until 4 May 1643. On the afternoon of that day—according to widespread testimony (fama por brua e carçante), corroborated by the Captain-General’s own admission—it is alleged that he went to the cell accompanied by his enslaved attendants (cafres) and, having beaten the Administrator severely with blows from a staff (bastão), caused his death. When the dying man requested the sacrament of confession, the Captain-General refused to grant it. Moreover, he killed a young servant (moço) who had urged him to allow the Administrator to confess; the youth was slain—so the testimony states—because, moved by compassion at the brutality inflicted upon his master, he threw himself weeping at the Captain-General’s feet. In sum, the Administrator died from the beating administered with the staff, and the servant was killed by a blow delivered with a gairo (a type of iron-tipped spear or lance, commonly used in colonial contexts).
[End of folio 2]
{{PAGE:53}}
No. 2
24
When the body was conveyed to the church, the witnesses observed the state of decomposition it had undergone: the entire corpse was badly decayed and covered in livid blotches; the skull was fractured and severely contused; and each eye had prolapsed from its orbit, lying outside the facial cavity.
Having compiled the inventory, the Captain-General appointed Franca Carvalho Aranhe and Luís Botelho Frois—both named in the Viceregal warrants as joint administrators—to assume responsibility for the deceased’s papers and estate. However, neither accepted the appointment; consequently, the Captain-General himself took possession of the documents and property and continued to exercise administrative control over the entire estate.
Upon learning that a page who had fled to Manila was residing at a location some distance from Macau—specifically, near Siam—he ordered the boy’s immediate apprehension. Upon his arrival, the Captain-General directed that he be executed by garrotte, taking great precautions to ensure secrecy. It is asserted by certain witnesses that this page had been entrusted with official correspondence from the Inquisitorial Commissioner in Manila—intended for delivery to the Inquisitorial Commissioner stationed in Macau—but that the Captain-General refused to permit the boy to discharge this duty. Instead, he insisted more urgently that the execution proceed without delay. Several witnesses further attest that the page had fled out of fear of the Captain-General, having heard in the city rumours concerning the latter’s own misconduct—rumours which gave rise to widespread belief that the Captain-General had ordered the killing of Rui Vaz Peixe during a night patrol (‘Ronda’), with whom he had encountered on a street one evening, after which Peixe disappeared. Additional circumstantial evidence supports this account of his death.
It was common public knowledge that the Captain-General had ordered the execution of a Castilian soldier for absence without leave—specifically, for failing to report for duty for two days while stationed at the citadel—and that Rafael de Torres carried out the killing on the Captain-General’s explicit command.
He hanged Paulo Nunes for threatening to strike a fellow soldier with a wooden staff—a weapon with which he had already struck him.
He hanged three enslaved youths for attempting to escape.
He administered the garrotte to one of his own personal attendants (‘bicho’, a period term denoting a dependent or subordinate servant).
He ordered the garrotte to be applied to several of his own pages and appointed subordinates.
He ordered the hanging of numerous soldiers and enslaved persons.
None of these deaths were subject to judicial process: no formal investigations, no inquests, no legal proceedings whatsoever. The Captain-General exercised absolute, untrammelled authority, without any intervention or oversight by judicial authorities; and he issued orders resulting in murder.
{{PAGE:54}}
The following is recorded in the official inquiry (residência) conducted into the conduct of Captain Jerónimo de Siqueira:
1110
He arrested Diogo Vaz Freire on suspicion of misconduct concerning the Royal Estate (Fazenda Real), of which Freire was administrator. He imprisoned Freire in irons in a humiliating manner—in a ground-floor shop belonging to a *mundícu* (a local African intermediary or intermediary trader, often of mixed descent). After subjecting him to severe and protracted harassment, he murdered Freire cruelly, seized his personal estate, and retained control over the administration of the Royal Estate.
He publicly insulted the *ouvidor* (royal magistrate and judicial inspector) with grossly offensive and injurious language; as a consequence, the *ouvidor* declined to attend the jurisdiction and refused thereafter to correspond officially with him.
He compelled the release—by force—of individuals lawfully detained by the ordinary judges (*juízes ordinários*).
He arrested whomever he pleased, releasing them only upon receipt of a substantial bribe (*dentrão*, i.e., an illicit payment extorted under duress).
He arrested João André and, by coercion, confiscated from him numerous pieces of silk of considerable value.
He seized by force an enslaved person belonging to Bento Álvares and refused to compensate him for the loss.
He likewise took by force a *berbem* (a type of fine cotton cloth, originally from Berber regions of North Africa, commonly traded in West Africa and Portuguese colonies) belonging to Álvaro de Sousa and refused to pay for it.
He arrested João Álvares for refusing to hand over a piece of *calanta* (a locally produced coarse cotton fabric, widely used in West Africa and the Portuguese Atlantic trade).
He failed to remit payment for goods he appropriated, nor did he repay loans he had solicited.
He subjected certain individuals—deemed untrustworthy—to physical coercion (*emforçou*, i.e., applied torture or violent compulsion).
He ordered the arrest of one of his own servants who had delayed in carrying out a task, detaining him summarily and without due process (*sem foro*, i.e., without legal hearing or judicial warrant).
It was widely rumoured that he had forged keys to gain unlawful access to the *almoxarifado de polvar* (the gunpowder storehouse and associated royal warehouse), and that he had stolen and removed stores therefrom.
{{PAGE:55}}
What emerges from the official inquiry (residência) conducted into the conduct of Sebastião Lobo da Veiga is as follows:
That, during the period when it was legitimately determined that the election of the *sofíner*—a position then vacant—should be opened, the said office stood sixth in order of precedence in the year 1660.
{{PAGE:56}}
**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
**Admission recorded in the interrogatories**, the first of which concerns the theft of gunpowder (fol. 2), and in the *provisão* (royal warrant or administrative order) (fol. 1), which commands the seizure of the house of Po Vaz Freire—coinciding with the vacancy occasioned by his death.
No. 5a
Upon the publication of the municipal election results for the city council (*Câmara Municipal*)—an election held in the year 1644—the Captain-General of the city moved to annul it, alleging procedural irregularities. His objections were set out in writing and grounded upon claims of widespread bribery having occurred during the electoral process. The *Câmara*, having deliberated, resolved that the said election should not be invalidated outright, but rather suspended pending formal adjudication of the cited objections.
Upon learning of this resolution, the opposing faction—comprising those who supported the contested election—proceeded en masse to the *Câmara* building, armed and in formation. By force and violence, they raised a standard of revolt, broke open the chest containing the civic munitions (*pelouros*—i.e., cannonballs and shot), and publicly proclaimed the contested election results. This act provoked outrage among the municipal authorities, who declared themselves aggrieved that the election had been promulgated contrary to their official opinion. In response—and in defiance of the *Câmara*’s authority—the faction’s leader, Dom Sebastião, ordered the garrison troops (*presídio*) to ring the church bell as a call to arms, hoist a banner of rebellion upon the fortress, deploy infantry along the ramparts of the fortification, and, over a period of three days, direct artillery fire (*estelleria*—i.e., cannonade) onto the dwellings of city residents perceived as aligned with the *Câmara*. Further, he dispatched a captain with seventeen men and a supply of gunpowder, commanding them to storm the Fort of São Francisco.
The attackers encountered fierce resistance from defenders loyal to the contested election, resulting in sustained musket fire (*mosquetaria*) exchanged between the two sides and numerous casualties. Throughout this entire episode, Dom Sebastião continued to order the discharge of artillery. Thereupon, the Rector of the Jesuit College (*Colégio da Companhia de Jesus*) intervened: bearing the Most Holy Sacrament in a monstrance beneath a canopy (*custódia* under *palio*), he approached Dom Sebastião to implore him to cease the bombardment. When Dom Sebastião refused, the Rector removed the Blessed Sacrament from the monstrance and, holding it aloft, repeated his entreaty. Dom Sebastião then agreed to halt the artillery fire on the condition that the populace surrender to him the Fort of São Francisco—which they currently occupied—and that the principal instigators of these disturbances be identified and held to account.
The principal authors of these disturbances were as follows:
- Jacinto Goteiros de Brito
- António da Costa Bencheo
- João da Costa (his brother)
- Rafael Aeres de Moradas
- Pero Roiz (sique)
- Tristão Tavares
- Lourenço Mendes Cordeiro
- Luís Tavares
- Dos Cardoso Socres
In another matter—concerning the dispute that arose between the Inquisitorial commissary (*comissário do Santo Ofício*) and the Governor of the Bishopric (*governador do bispado*)—the latter appointed, in his capacity as conservator of episcopal interests, a religious of the Order of Saint Augustine, Prior of his convent, to act as intermediary. Moreover, owing to tensions arising from inspections (*visitações*) conducted among the urban populace, large numbers of citizens assembled in opposition to the ecclesiastical authorities—forming an assembly distinct from, and antagonistic toward, the established civic and religious community (*comunhã*).
{{PAGE:57}}
1311
The captain-general, Dom Sebastião, ordered the dispatch of a detachment of troops—some drawn from forces under the commissioner’s authority and others from those under the governor of Lisbão—to the said convent, in order to restore calm; all parties were armed. However, it is not recorded that any ammunition or ordnance was issued on this occasion for use in that quarter.
At the time of the incident prompting the commissioning of the *devassa* (judicial inquiry), Dom Sebastião instructed Colo to conduct an investigation and to secure the means necessary to break open the house of Poluora, within which the suspect had taken refuge. Upon carrying out due diligence, municipal officials discovered that several barrels of gunpowder were missing from the said storehouse; yet there is no evidence indicating that the aforementioned accused, Dom Sebastião, himself stole them.
Some men were imprisoned in the gaol by order of the judicial authorities; Dom Sebastião subsequently ordered their release, acting through Francisco Barro de Lima, captain of infantry, and the soldiers he commanded.
While the city of Macau was hosting a Japanese subject from Cambodia—who had arrived from Manila bearing the said secret document—the protest and declaration of friendship lodged at the third residence (i.e., the third official residence or diplomatic venue) did not, according to available records, result in a rupture of peace or the breaking of the table of negotiations (a formal diplomatic convention) with the King of Kalla, ruler of that realm.
{{PAGE:58}}
**Document Reference:** 11° 6
Following the acclamation of His Majesty as King of this Realm, several vessels arrived in Macau from Manila carrying Castilian subjects. Upon their arrival in the city of Macau, the Captain-General—accompanied by the municipal councillors (*vereadores*)—immediately levied a forced contribution of 20,000 *patacas* from them. This sum was found in their possession and subsequently deposited in the treasury houses (*casas do depósito*) of the Society of Jesus. Of this amount, 3,000 *patacas* went missing; it was widely reported—and generally accepted—that certain Chinese individuals had stolen them.
Subsequently, when the Captain-General was requested to provide an account of the missing funds, he asserted—again, on general report—that Chinese persons had stolen them. When asked to produce the chest (*arca*) in which the said coins had been stored, he refused to do so. Instead, using a key he himself possessed, another belonging to the sergeant-major, and a third newly commissioned for the purpose, he opened the chest and removed all the aforementioned *patacas*. Of these, he expended 1,400 *patacas* upon the surveyors (*medidores*) who had been dispatched to inspect the dwellings occupied by the Castilian officers; the remainder was disbursed among the garrison soldiers.
It is established that he enlisted all his own enslaved persons and domestic servants, as well as those belonging to the soldiers, and compelled them to sign the victualling ledger (*despensa*), retaining sole control over its administration. He thereby withheld disbursements from the soldiers, citing their failure to fulfil their obligation of *yugia* (a term here denoting the customary military service or duty roster) and alleging that they had defaulted on their contractual obligations. In lieu of payment, he accepted gold ornaments—including a gold-mounted sword, earrings (*brincos*), and other items of value—as security or collateral.
In addition to the 20,000 *patacas* thus appropriated, he also seized considerable quantities of personal effects belonging to the said Castilians. When the *ouvidor* (royal magistrate) required him to render a formal inventory (*inventário*) of these goods, he declined to do so. Instead, he ordered them to be placed in the seminary of the Society of Jesus. There is no record of what subsequently became of this property: whether it was sold, retained, or otherwise disposed of. Moreover, it appears that a substantial portion of the confiscated goods was conveyed to the residence of the said Captain-General himself—and likewise to the house of Mel da Costa, a servant (*criado*) of the Captain-General, where—among other valuables—was found a gold-mounted sword and further items of precious jewellery.
Beyond the aforementioned 20,000 *patacas*, numerous additional sums were collected—though never formally recorded—by coercing payments from several prominent residents (*mordomos*) of Macau, who concealed these monies within their private dwellings. These individuals include:
- Fernão Bartolomeu de Sá Leal, in whose house a large quantity of Castilian gold was discovered;
- Salvador Coelho, who held in his possession 2,000 *patacas*, delivered to him by Father Berçolameu de Riberedo; Salvador Coelho claimed subsequently to have handed this sum over to the Castilian Jerónimo Nunes.
Among the Castilians arriving from Manila was one individual named Carvalho, who fled Macau aboard a vessel he had commissioned. It was rumoured—though uncorroborated by official documentation—that he had paid the Captain-General seven *peças* (gold ingots or bars) to ensure his escape remained unimpeded. While this allegation does not appear in the formal deposition (*devassa*), the same document does confirm that the Sergeant-Major arrested Carvalho during the broader detention of the Castilian contingent. It is further attested that the Captain-General later ordered Carvalho’s release—ostensibly upon the intercession of two impoverished artillerymen (*artilheiros*), whose petition he reportedly accepted.
{{PAGE:59}}
— ORIGINAL TEXT —
Moraua possessed a considerable quantity of silver, without fear that it might be seized; and with this silver he openly purchased goods of very high value—amber, bergamot, musk, and many other costly commodities. It is not recorded that the Governor took any action against the sureties after the said Castilian’s flight.
This Castilian embarked from the residence of Sebastião de Vargas, who—along with another Castilian named Vargas—assisted him in his escape. They retained, in their possession, one hundred *patacas* belonging to the said Castilian, and actively facilitated his flight.
Furthermore, several bales of merchandise, which the said Castilian had dispatched for laundering (i.e., concealment or illicit reprocessing), were subsequently seized. The said Laurentio Medas did not request these bales; and although Diogo Mendes formally denounced to the Procurator-General the full sum of the aforementioned *patacas* and merchandise, no investigative diligence was undertaken by the latter—an omission from which it may reasonably be inferred that he was complicit.
Moreover, one of the articles of inquiry stipulated that it should be established who were the individuals who went to the municipal chamber (*Casa da Câmara*), where they shouted out the ‘arpana’ (i.e., public proclamation) concerning the pillagers and publicly proclaimed the royal pardon (*Mercê*). According to the documentary evidence, however, it appears that Jeiunto Gotorres and Gaspar Vaz had already departed from the chamber, accompanied by a large number of people, acting in accordance with official orders—and that the populace, having been summoned, duly assembled and proceeded—exactly as instructed—to proclaim both the ‘carro dos pelouros’ (i.e., the cart bearing the leaden bullets, symbolising judicial execution or punitive authority) and the royal pardon (*Mercê*).
6
Macau, C x 1, doc. 36 |
| fulltext_transcription | {{PAGE:1}}
11o
11o
1136 anos
Relação do que consta da denúncia
que teve o ldo João Alveresca
rrelho tercou pela procura de sua
Mgda como por petição administrador
sa ordem de Xpō de morte de Ds̄ Vos fizesse
no tempo que dali se bastiaõ lobo sor capitão geral da cidade de São Paulo servia também
nelle Do Vaz Freire de Administrador da fazenda Real e em tre ambos houve dúvidas de que
resultarão grandes ódios como foi encontrar-lhe o dito administrador que não
cobrava soldos, funções, de seus tirados e escravos e por também o dito capitão geral
pertencer que o dito administrador não provia nas embarcações que mandava
a Manila os feitores que nelas serviam de capitão por dizer que a ele como capitão
geral pertencia o provimento da pública carga e também porque mandando o dito geral
lançar hum bando para quartel do povo saírem do casa do administrador alguns folgados que criaram o tanbē e deram bofetadas em quem o tão gia de que seguirão entre
ambos os dias capitais
e em execução disto o ditos mandou o dito capitão geral prender ao dito administrador
e preso o mandou meter em huã logia em munda do castello com grelhas nos pés
olha mandou fichar huã janela que nela havia com o que ficou às escuras e sem clareza e com guarda ordinária de soldados que o não deixavam falar com alguém
e o capitão geral por hum bureguo que tinha na sua sala lhe disse e fazia muitas ameaças e é fama pública que também lhas mandava fazer por seus escravos
e logo no mesmo dia em que se fez a dita prisão foi com as custódias à casa do dito administrador e lhe fez inventário de tudo o que nela achou e do fato que tocava ao administrador fez de posse no seminário dos padres da Companhia e levou para sua
casa todo o mais feto e papéis pertencentes à fazenda Real e entregou todo o colei que
se achou ao mestre da fundação e outros que o capitão viesse fazer o inventário tiveram
lugar lium filho do administrador para terra da dita casa papéis e ouro e outras cousas
que foi de positas nomeis trador para terra da dita casa papéis e ouro
foi feita a dita prisão em doze de outubro de 642 e nela o teve com notáveis
a partes até quatro de maio de seiscentos e quarenta e três e na noite desse dia é
fama pública e constante que ninguém contradiz e o mesmo capitão assim o con
fessa que foi à dita logea com os seus cafres e que à poder de pancadas que deu
no dito Do Vaz Freire o matou e que por hum moço que servo criado se deitar
aos pés do dito capitão e lhe pedir que lhe não dissesse e que o deixasse confessar
e o Do Vaz Freire pediu também confissão o capitão os matou a ambos hum com
creus para das que lhes com o bastio e no moço com garrote portão bem chiar
pelas crueldades que via fazer a seu senhor e em bos morrentes famionisio
{{PAGE:2}}
snor̄
436
Esta matéria está resoluta e pela sereníssima Majestade, príncipe entā estava a seu cargo o descargo das cousas Ultramarinas, se lhes tirou elle que o administrava, auze o escrúpulo necessário pa este reg.o e com esta Consulta ua as cópias do q̄ se resolveo.
H. 12. de janeiro de 1644
P.
go Vaz Freire escreuera a V. Mg.e pello
P.
Com o da fazenda — que ho diue
Consa das molheres que padessia me
que padessia me
tido em hua prisão pello general da gla
Cidade per uoltar pella fazenda de Vin
E que fazendosse por aquelle Conselho.
Consulta a V. Mg.e: Cometera O Mge a
averiguação do negocio ao Doutor Fer
não Dematos de Carvalhossa, Procura
dor da fazenda de V. Mg.e, o qual lhe
deuera que a tinha feito Nemetido a
Vill. g.e
E pergū as embarcaçoẽs q̄
uaõ para aquella Cidade estão depoiti
da e sempre comuira ao serviço de V. M̄
que se tome resolução neste negocio conto
da a brevidade possível para que uā
nas ditas embarcações.
Pauco ao Conso que o devia Lembrar
a V. Mg.e, per q̄ se o administrador
procedeo como devia se lhe deve aui
dir e liuralo das molestias que pade
ce de que se queixa, e consequente men
te será razão que se lhe tire off.o haue
do procedido bem, e neste Cazo naõ
tera lugar aconselta que se fez a V. Mg.e
{{PAGE:3}}
Joaco gra
De Montalvão
Por este Conselho sob canonicação de pessoas
para este Cargo porq̄ quando ellas e fez
naõ tenha o Conselho Noticia questiaõ mi
motra do restaua prouido, E só te
ra Lugar adita nomeação em caso q̄
Villa q̄ naõ haja que o dito Cio gouernador
freire procedeo como deuia
Al de Santiso Ill. 4. de Acatella ha naõ
Inquisição e assylhe
Ao ge de Maguorque Judisil de souza
{{PAGE:4}}
Do Conselho pelo amarinho
sobre o admoestador da fé Real
Dio Vasco Figueiredo preto em Achená
Al.
22
{{PAGE:5}}
N36A1
Em Carta de S. Mag.de de 18 de Outubro de 1643. para Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva
Capitão Geral de Macau.
E ao V. Rey da Índia tenho cometido que tome particular formaçaõ das queixas
que fazeis do Administrador da fazenda para as Remédias em formaçaõ das queixas
vos em comendo mto, e mando que tanto que Reçeber desta Carta as oulteres, em quanto
o V. Rey, naõ toma conhecim.to do caso; e procureis cuidar toda ao caziaõ de Remetar
as de sauenças passadas, que tinstes com o Administrador.
Em Carta de S. Mag.de de 16 de Outubro de 1643. para Diogo Vaz Freire.
Vi a vossa Carta de 31 de Outubro do anno passado de 1642 em que me Referis as
de sauenças que entre vós, e o Cap.ã Geral dessa Cidade Dom Sebastião Lobo da
Silveira tem hauido, e como ficastes preso, por sua ordem, sobre Zelândia a
fazenda Real. E hauendosse considerado tudo com os mais particulares, de
que me destes conta p̃la mesma Carta; para se poder tomar Resoluçaõ na matéria
desta queixa com os fundam.tos que se Requerem; houue por bem de mandar Re-
meter ao meu V. Rey da Índia, para que por sua via procuja no caso como mais
conuenha, de man.ra que seja castigado quem o Merecer, no meando Ministro de
toda a satisfaçaõ, e com fiança a que Cometta o conheçim.to e aueriguaçaõ de neg.co
E ao Cap.ã Geral Dom Sebastião Lobo mandando escreuer e me acompanhar destas
mesmas vias que entretaneto vos solte logo da prizaõ. Mag. para a Camara da Cidade de Macau
Tambem pela mesma Via da Índia tenho mandado accordir as compettencias
que me dizeis hauia entre o Administrador da faz.da Diogo Vaz Freire, e o Geral
dessa Cidade Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, mandandolhe solte logo
ao Administrador, entretanto que vá Ministro taõbem particular que conheça
do caso, e aprezo a Verdade.
{{PAGE:6}}
Em Carta de S. Mag.de de 1643 p.a o R. Rey da Índia
& porq̄ Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira Cap.º geral da mesma Cidade
me auizou ter acabado o tempo de seu procuramento pedindo se lhe mande hiussos
tanto q̄ lhe no miardes pessoa, qual nestes principios comuem p.a aquella praça
ordenariis q̄ elle se Recolha Logo a essa Cidade de Goa, mandando Imidiata
m.to por ministro que p.a esse effeito alegarey de toda a comfiança e sa
tisfaçaõ deuassar dos competencias q̄ entrece lhe e progovaz freire Ad
ministrador da fazenda R.al Nigens de fapaõ, q̄ elle tinha prezo, e eu lhe
mandey soltasse logo e apurada a uerdade muj exactam.te fareis castigar
a quem o Merecer.
{{PAGE:7}}
AHU
1435 a2
Os Officiais dos m.ros de escreverão a V. M.
como a esta Cidade e
de hum nosso q̄ em Mu
Remedio q̄ depois daquellas
Restou, e moquel vyo huā pessoa.
dade por nome D. João Claudio pera tratar
Alhano
E Jeronimo Nunes de Queirós pera tratar
E provimentos pera Manila, em sua Companhia trouxe
enta ou sacerdote Lda dos Oitenta e o q̄ os
O q̄ de Manila foi comseruar a possessão desta cidade. por E.
de Castella, frades em huā obrigação q̄ os moradores desta co-
mum lhe fiseraõ, de a comcernar por El Rey Phelipe, tra-
E industria de q̄ Vsaraõ pa se sobertarem, assy, E ao cabedal de
sa Cidade, q̄ se naõ uiera, pecatiuem com sumida, a Prata
seria a lhe contra centos mil cardaos; E os nossos Vir-
duzentos homẽs; tanto q̄ a este porto chegaraõ mandara
a esta Cidade, E ao Cap̄ geral liureo, E beneplacito pa as
de entrar ao q̄ se lhes deferio, o podiaõ fazer; frades nisto
ssaraõ, com a sua Chegada alla, fes o Cap. Geral huā ju-
riz em esta Cidade, com os officiais della, e cō seus comeelheros, E
geis Cidadaõs velhos, do Experiencia; e moRezaõ da ordē q̄ o
do estado de Índia tinha mandado por suas cartas assy a es-
ta como a Cidade sobre os Castelhanos, e por todos se desiminou
Se auizaçe ao dito V. Rey da sua uinda, manifestando junta-
o pontento, q̄ tinhaõ, e trazião, e dando tudo huās cartas q̃
do seu go trouxeraõ, pa muitas pessoas del-
las q̄ se emuiaraõ alguās a essa cor-
rem ao Captor geral, E ao possiuais de
emqto o sobey, vltimamte naõ debemo
defazer, naõ molestaçem nem prem-
costei bom a
.m. se dera
{{PAGE:8}}
negado Dom Sebastião tomou
aue mel pr.a dos s.res
fe
alidade seo tinha prezos em seus
pouz com a om
Diz aqui maltratações, ou em alg
q̄ dos ditos Castelhanos, aos q̄ tomou
q̄ se depoestaraõ, por ordem sua, E
Compa de baixo de tres chaues, huā q̄ neous
adous officiaes della, E querendo o Conser
prata pera a paga do presídio pesio a Cidade o conçer
sse o q̄ ella numqua fez por ser contra a ordem de V. Rey ca
testhe protestou, naõ aceitace a dita prata do q̄ elle fes p
co cazo, E se foi a Compa E abaliro eu o depozito porq̄ a
cidade naõ quis dar as suas Chaues, e levou toda a prata
Acçaõ mto escandaloza, E em descredito da naçaõ portuguesa
tomar a prata dos Castelhanos oie e nemigos nos bos sem
ordem de V. R. Mag.de, nē do V. Rey pa o poder fazer, antes te
doa ao Contrario, auendo na tr.a outros depozitos de Portuguê
zes, os quaes pudera tomar pa a paga do presídio; toda a
Rezaõ E credito despreza, so segue sua depraueda Vo
tade, E insacianel culiça q̄ lhe tem fechado os olhos q
naõ uir o q̄ comuē a honrra, E credito, de V. Mag.de q̄ e
seu lugar esta neste estado a tropelando por tudo E po
obediencia do dito V. Rey q̄ taõ distintamte lhe ordenou o Co
trario do q̄ tem obrado
Estando as couzas dos Castelhanos neste colado esp
alidade seo tinho prezos em seus rens randonos aos Castelhanos neste colado esp
7, mais cō esses denum recusione
o Capm geral, nē a o estarē em Manila mais de hinta por
grande cantroade de ds̄, couzas todas de mta comcideraçaõ, o
grande cantroade de ds̄, couzas todas de mta comcideraçaõ, o
terminou a prendelos, se bem elles deraõ o cazsaõ a jsso,
q̄ a per ella ortinhaõ as Justicas de V. R. Magde prezos
sua Caza, por ordem da cidade, por elle dei assy Reque
ja do sobrescar em som de guerra com sodo o seu prozedio
Antes do q̄ tratou esta Cid̄ de lhe fazer alguās gra
Em portantes o ducatencias, E Varios Requerimtos a codindo
juntos, E que forma da Cidade, em corporada ao forte pa Es
de as couzas se fazerē cō mais sucuidade, e sem corrondo
naõ quis deferir como a Rezaõ o pedia tratando só mte
feituar seu parecer contra o q̄ tinha assemtado, E ass
notor da Cidade, cō todo o seu Consso de
o ui
{{PAGE:9}}
Pello prejuizo q̄ as partes Litigantes Recebem do conhairo, e pella
jndicincia grande de ellas andarē sempre mendigando pareceres
E despachos
Por hū Rumor, ou fama q̄ pella tra Corria, podebem ser q̄
dinulgada pello mesmo Capitão geral de q̄ auia nella parecia lida
em vos de Castella, e menos fidelidade a vossa R. Mag.de tratou o ou-
vidor desta cidade Diogo Vas bauaro, q̄ o Vejo a ser, por Vrcador
mais Velho, em Rezaõ desta ouuidoria estar Vaga, e faltarlhe
proprietario de terar de uassa, e preguntar testas sobre o cazo.
Elle deue dar conta a V. R. Mag.de do Effeito della, imuiando
a V. R. Mag.de pera della constar E cōsaber a verdade.
cousas de Japam estam no mesmo estado,
As cousas de Jappão ficam em o mesmo estado, E não
milhorarem pede a Cidade q̄ s. m.e mandase q̄ sera asertado lhe ua
ao Jappão enbainada
embarada de V. Mag.de pera cō ella se cōtinuar, o trato q̄ esta Cede
sempre tiuera com a quelle Reino, E de q̄ se sostentará,
mos seja V. Mag.de seruido tratar della; pello mto q̄ im
sse comercio a estes seus vassalos cō sertoza de q̄ está
se sostentaua so mtos doctratos, E comercios dezia ppaõ, e Ma-
nila sem os q̄ sera jmpossiuel com ceruarço e mambos topezõ
hū q̄ hé o dezappaõ em Respto da diuina Magde, pella preci-
panilha, o super ue do seu sagrado Euangelho, E o de Manila e moraõ de V.
infassam pade a Cadde tres vias
se descompoulo de n.to inque-
rito por lida ./. Consultarõ /.
Mag.de E como ambas seiaõ bem seruidas, da mes por molh
perdidor, estes comercios, e debra vontade padecemos a
zerias, E necessidades, que a falta delles, cauza, e to-
do nesta Re publica, E cidade, E encazo q̄ como e
V. Mag.de nos Restetua o deja ppaõ cō a sua e mo-
dimos pa o dezempenho desta Cidade tres viagēs, e o
dimtos se podera dezempenhar do mto em q̄ esta ella
njt. se mō abre o commercio de e cō os mesmos ja poes, e Por entre tantos pedim
pede L.ca a Cidade s.n na uegar pera a V. serenissima Mag.de huā prouizaõ mto de M.ce pera q̄ d.
as p.as da sala, Angello, Antugel desta Cidade se possa liuremente, na uegar pa toda
pa esta defficio, e facome nouas tradas, E Portugal, E cō as grangear
ndoms
Viagēs se auer de Remediar, emqto falta o trabadeja por
supposto q̄ cō toda balhos como cō bonanças que
nette alidade fumisa no tiraico de nor quizer dar; estamos, E estaremos, sempre mto pr
Agordecasse este 6m ansmo ao serto de V. Seremos ima Mag.de q̄ occo proxpore e gu
por largo, E filius annos, pa em paro de bodos os Va-
de V. R. Mag.de E acrecentamto de todo o Reino, e Thome
sugues, e como nos aue mos me ler. – sobscrita
mim Jacome de morais pra solffita Escriuão
Camara desta Cidade do nome de N. S.ª da Assumpção
{{PAGE:10}}
sair
nem
Assestindolhe nelle, hora uns, hora outros, moderandolhe seu
61 testemunha do Presídio o desempararam por todos os soldados do Presídio, os quais
não poderem sofrer o rigor com que os riguor comparar desta Cidade, por ia não p
trataua
elle fes pessois do contrario
soportar o Rigor, e tirania com que eram tratados dele, hora a flor
E estrô pecando uns, hora em forçando outros, sem mais ordem
delle de juizo, que sua mera Vontade, e tiranica com dicção, sup
que por se desculpar publica, e nos dizem forma papeis que estes
dados foraõ induzidos por algumas pessoas para averem de o desempa
o que nos não consta pois a esta Cidade vieram a dizer que estavam p
tes pa ser vir a vossa Real Magestade, nomeandolhe o cap.º geral, pe
que o gouernador temendo-se dos Rigores, e sem Rezoẽs que cada dia
ia com elles, a Reuando-se mais que tudo por se a Risco sem cul
Proprias a morrerem sem os Sacramentos —
Estas dauidas tem datado a pedir esta sacra
neste infe, e no do gouerno de Dom Fr.º Mesquita
As inquietaçoẽs e duuidas, passadas, entre os Padres que
deste Bispado, e commissario do Sancto officio estão de prezte quietos
seliem tão indicizas como de antes, por que como cole anno faltaram
as nouas, e nas vias da India donde com tanto aluorosso Responda
pella Rezoluçaõ, e dis dellas, o que nesta cidade não pode a
uer, ficaram as ordaõs muito em a mesma confuzaõ seguindo c
da hum ao peniaõ, e parecer o jarti, a que mais os inclina sua com
ciencia, supposto que o Cap.º Geral, por não se ver couza que não
surbe, E inquiete não fazendo estimaçaõ, da imp_
iue d’havia de fazer em sem temer dos Rigores, e sem Rezoẽs que as
religiozos respondiam ao protesto
e se dade Bp.º, e que seja cleto de
e virtude, e não religioso, e daa
m, e man / ferre cont.a
pretendeo mouer outras de nouo a jnda muito piores que as
por testos, e Requerimtos pouco acautelados, e muy escarios
por vezes mandou por escrito em timar aos Religiozos os da
Legiões, e tendo noticia que orditos Religiozos tratavam delle
ponder a seus protestos chamou de Noite o seu concelho,
clarada mente lhes disse que estava de todo Rezoluto pa em a ma
do tanto que as Respostas chegacem disparar huma pessa de co
ria, caruarar hum estandonte, e por nem em som, e ponto de gra
O que sem duuida fizera, sem se lhe dar da Ruina total da tta que
certo Resultaria de se melhante A e caõ, suas todas as ueras,
forças puviueis não trabalharamos, por que os Religiozos se
quietacem, E ecc decem de seu drto, como foreram por nossa
terceiraõ e Rogo, e que não Respondeu a seus protectos, o que e
fizeram com que parece a couza fica em paz, mas os animos muito o
Bor nos constar da Origem, de que enclumam de ordinario
pesurbaçoẽs no Ecclesiastico desta Republica pedimos as to
Real Magestade, seja seruido prouer este R.º Prelado, e pa
proprietario, o qual podendo ser comtimaremos que seja Cle
e a Cidade O auendo letrado (de Virtude, e letras, e não Religiozos de nenhũa das Religi
Como tão bem esta Ouvidoria do s. meo e in lo s.
{{PAGE:11}}
Prendeo aos Castelhanos em a vênça e çia como este conforme elles nos disseraõ, E dizendolhe a Cidade
gente: sem admittir o maõs proue q̄ sem estrompo da guerra o tinha já prezos, E q̄ se cō isso sen
e Cada de juramto pa se Curesce esta parenta delles o q̄ ma
pergun
testam
seus
com uiesse ao seruiço de V. Mg.de porq̄ constaua a esta Cidade
q̄ elles naõ Refazaraõ a prizaõ só se temiaõ lhes acontrece
o q̄ ao administrador com forme o q̄ nos dessens, nē e o tu
esto se quis contentar antes nos Respondeo q̄ nos naõ ca
ssaceremos, q̄ ainda q̄ lhos leuaçemos prezos E lhos entreguasse
mos no dito forte os naõ auia de Receber, senaõ os auia de
Lançar polas portas delle, e logo em pessoa cō a sua gente jun
ta auia de hir a sua Casa E prendebos, como fes sem numqua
os bens da Casa — pa este acto querer admitir no Ra assistençia, nē ainda no
em uentariar de suas fazendas, E bens na comfirmidade da or
dem do VRey pa assy mais a sua Vontade faz̄ o q̄ se diz, foi,
E hé publico ser lem gragē sua. os bens dos castelhanos serẽ preza
dos sua como quē entende E cuida q̄ naõ há de dar comta a quē lha
pode pedir de se melhantes Excessos pois nos consta q̄ tem man
dado dir a Justa uma neo, deue ser pa nella se hir fu
lezem q̄ por fugir nella
gindo, a comta q̄ se lhe deue pedir destas couzas como taõbē
ur salen da casa da poluera, o q̄ estar da poluera, o q̄ estar dade m
pe e seu despois o fazia
natta cō rigor aos Couzelleros e tem
nos em mudos sendo no boes, e estando
com seguro
dou Remediar fazendolhe nouas fichaduras Rec an
de elle lhe por fogo como publicaua, E ainda o pub
licos Castelhanos prezos, E xercita cada dia maior es
mandandolhes botar ferros, no forte da Guia; ten
la sua palaura, de ooster em hū comuēto por serẽ p
graues, E de calidade, E agora corre os manda pa Goa
dolhe quando os prendeo, seguro em nome de V. Ma
Vossas q̄ os informaçaõ comera e faça seu ter Respeitica taõ semter Respado
promettida em meu ultigo
rado nome de Vossa R. Magde cō q̄ artinha segur
Ceo a Clarara estas couzas q̄ os homēs amdaõ em Le
pasmados vemdo publicar cō a bouça tanto Bello e
de Vossa serenissima Mag.de, E a 1 o naõ mos
o seu Votto no concelho, e os Cos iros q̄ lhe a
n Viro e prom lhe conuersar a os seguros q̄ em nome de V. se
o escreuaõ dera del ao seguro q̄ em nome de V. se
a Magde lhe tinha dado, e ouza tanto comtra o q̄ se deue a Vo
ssa Serenissima Magde, de quem elle Se publica taõ seruidor
mas o serto Deos̄ o sabe. a s Certidoẽs e mas bom desta
teria mandamos a V. R. Magde com esta Carta —
Por hū Rumor, ou fuma q̄ pella tra corria, pode
ser q̄ diu el gada, pello mesmo capm geral em o dio deste
uo de q̄ auia esta Cidade parecia lidades em vor de Cast
toda a q̄ sere nissima Magde, Fraco
Naõ naõ vy
{{PAGE:12}}
Dou vida Diogo Vasconcelos, que o vejo a ser por Vizeador
muito velho, em razão desta Ouvidoria estar vaga, de birardeu
essa e perguntar testemunhas sobre o caso, e lhe deve dar como
capitão geral tirou de vilas e inquiridor tirando-as nomes
io as testemunhas por si mesmo, feito as leituras em queredor tirando-as no mes
e se filha muito diz velho atrás intratável
com sumário.
E assistindo pessoalmente ao perguntar das testemunhas sem do
causa com a sua assistência, a que não testemunham com liber
dade e verdade, cousa que tanto as Leis abominam em com
razão e defendem. Pedimos de muita suplicação V. R. Ma. de
o crédito de toda sua escritura, até V. Magestade
em forma do dito pacto, verdade e dorben, e
paternais olhos de Vossa Sereníssima Magestade e do zelo tão ca
tólico que em V. Magestade veneramos e servimos, esperamos obser
vação que já nos protegemos muito falidos, porém e que
seja Magestade Vossa e reine com gloriosas vitórias em bem
deste tão dito Reino e em aumento do Real estro e
coroa de Vossa Magestade — subscrita por mim Ja
co me de Morais para sêlfeis Escrivão da Câmara
desta Cidade do nome de São Paulo na China em 28
de Novembro de 1643.
{{PAGE:13}}
1435
orden por foy
R
Aos vinte de julho soltre Dom de bolsaõ
sob cargo do Iuramento dos seus foj de Maguaes
Roussesca Confulta
de que na fee accom erenissa Magestade, Rey, E snōr meu; Este
humilde Passasso obrigado do lugar que o eccupa e serui a V Magestade da
E tirou a q̄ leuio mais Remota parte do mundo; aonde o nome de V Mag.de hé a Clamado,
A telonia
Conhecido, E Reuerenciado, E suas Vitoriosas armas, estremulho bandr.as
Conheçido, E Reuerenciado, E suas Vitorias em obediençia de seu Rey, E snor̄ /. Pello
VRey da yndia conde de Aueiro depois de auer seruido a V Magestade
neste Oriente em Varias occazioens̄ em que fui recupado pello Real se
de V Mag.de com grossas armadas a meu Cargo.) me ocupou cō o lug
de Capitão Geral desta prassa taõ inportante, e obediente a V Mag.de, como n
sessaria a Conseruaçaõ della por seu opulento, E Rendozo trato, Rezulti
de grandes Vtilidades a o estado da india; Donde partido athe chegar a est
de Macao, padeçi pello seruiço de V Magestade graues Reicos E de trimentoz
sendo pilhado dos olandezes em huā naõ inglesa em que passey a es
Cidade que foi des valizada e moutor m.tos della em sua defençaõ, con
perda de minha fazenda, captiueiro da minha pessoa, leuado a ferss
a Cidade de Batavia cabessa dos prezidios que tem nestas partes, dond
pLaCLemencia de quem me Captiuou, fiquei liberto, e coLiber dad
de poder consseguir o seruiço de o Mag.do Cheguei acta Cidade, a qual a es
que he uizinha o de Manila cabessa das illas Phellipinas em deuaçaõ
de V Mag.de, e taõ obedientes seus Leais Vassallos a seu Real seruiço, q̄
saõ dignos de mto Louuor, porque como he publico por huā pequena informa
çaõ que tiueraõ da ffeliça a Clamaçaõ de V Magestade ser seu Rey, E R
de Purtugal, secu dindo o jugo de Castella e o alegres Viuas ofertejaraõ
com grandes filhos, enuençoen̄s, e inCamizadas, Iurando a V Magestade
todos por seu uerdadro Rey, e sob posto que o sr na dores della estaõ em
miserauel estado pella falta que padecem do Comercio pella quebra,
lappaõ, e manilha, que parou com a R a Clamaçaõ de Vs
D 3
{{PAGE:14}}
4
Se sustentam nas esperanças de embaixada ao Rey da China, da qual he pario, para
que forneça admitir o trato, que com elle só poderá resucitar das miserias em que
se vêm; / E com a Requesta disse se poderá sustentar os principios desta praça, que
nome delles filé de tanta importância á que basta a enfraquecer o inimigo mais
pactado, e mais vizinho, pelo que V. Mag.de por serviço de Deos nosso Senhor
E da sua Real coroa acuda, E com tempo, porque do Contrário se pode temer grandes
dannos, que com a brevidade do Remedio pode ser muito proveitosa) Quando
legittimamente a esta Cidade que foi a quatro de junho da prezente era sendo della
capitão geral Dom Sebastião Lobo pelos máos modos que teve em seu
governo, e por se haver tão moradores della lhe havia dado por tres
dias de riba do Castello de São Paulo onde Regidia bataria, e no mesmo dia
estava para tornar de novo a mesma obra, o que não teve effeito com minha
chegada, pondo tudo em paz e obediência de V. Mag.de, finalmente por o dito Dom
Sebastião Lobo ser provedor da fazenda Real de V. Mag.de, e por ter outros graves
delictos matando ao administrador da Real fazenda, e sem confiança por de
Londres delle sua jurisdição sendo freire professo do hábito de Cristo, dando
outros muitas mortes injustas ameaçando inteentes; a Requerimento de feitor de
V. Mag.de por a segurar a Real fazenda, o mandei em custodia para o forte de
Santiago da barra, athe ordem do V. Rey da India, mandando-lhe inventariar
sua fazenda que se pode achar, e como de tudo mais largo, e de fazende, trato por
capitães que em Vio ao Visorrey da India, a elles me remeto, que hé certo de tudo
dará conta a V. Mag.de, e como assy seja cesso por não ser mais largo, Nosso Senhor
lhe dê a vida deuossa Seremos assy seja cesso por não ser mais largo, Nosso Senhor
tandolhe gloriosos, e triumphantes sucessos com grandes Vizorias, e felicíssimos augm.tos
de seus Reinos gloria, e bonança de Deos nosso Senhor e Conuerssaraõ de seus Leais
vassalos
Huā Receby de Vossa Real Mag.de estando ja nesta sua Cidade de Macau
ocupado em seu Real serviço por Geral da guerra, e secretário da Corte de Lisboa 60a
m 6. de dezembro de 1642. tão cheya de bonrras, e ms, que me acho indig
io dellas; porem como saõ nas saidas do Real peito de V. Mag.de, me fica servindo
e tinha semenhas Felicidades com esperança de alcançar o premio de meus
serão etttas Ma: ao cidade do Reino da China. 8. de novembro de 1694 ā
Muito
{{PAGE:15}}
Arce
Rey, E snōr.
436 an
OS senhores Reys de Portugal, antecessores de V. Mag.es sempre foraõ Pays
de seus Vassallos, E em pazo das mizeraueis Seu uas, E assy que esta hê a rezão que
me anima a Escreuer esta a V. Mag.e a quem dou Conta de minhas Lastimas; E us.or
fui molher de Diogo Vaz freire, o qual seruio nestas partes a V. Mag.e muitos annos
gastando em seu Real seruiço o dote que meus Pays lhe deraõ comigo em Caza mēto.
Em a era de mil seiscentos e quarenta o mandou o Gouernador da Índia António Telles de Menezes a China, por Administrador da fazenda de V. Mag.e a qual era
muita, E de muita importançia dos Rendimentos das viagens de Jappão, e de Manila,
E exercitando seu officio com muita verdade, e limpeza, como hi no torio atodo mūdo
o prendeo Dom Sebastião Lobo, General daquella praça, por naõ uir nos Roubos, E falçi
dades, a que estaua acustumado a fazer este fidalgo; E a principal era que mandan
do os V. Reys da Índia pagar duzentos soldados de Soldo, na que lla praça aseis
patacas cada mes acada hum soldado, elle as Recolhia em sy, ficando o prezidio de
V. Mag.e sem gente, que alem de ser grande Roubo era tambem treyção; E como meu
marido não ueyo em esta maldade, E em outras que elle estaua acustumado a fazer
o prendeo, como asima digo, mui afrontozamente E o meteo nuā logea escura, com huā
grossa cadeia nos pês, naõ no deixando falar com ninguē da onde apenas pode dar Con
ta a V. Mag.e pello Cappitaõ António Fialho, E na mesma hora que o prendeo entrou na
Caza d.o Administraçaõ que hera a mesma de meu marido, E a saqueou de tudo, o que
nella achou meu, E de meus filhos, naõ deyxando nem papeis de Reçeitas, e despezas da
fazenda de V. Mag.e E depois de o por nesta mizera prizão oito mezes se foi a elle huā
noyte com os de sua Caza o matou, apuros a çoutes, negandolhe a comfissão, E pella menhã
o mandou botar a porta da miā. a donde chegou o pouo a uer o lastimoso espectaculo,
que este mao fidalgo fes em meu marido, E Administrador da fazenda de V. Mag.e
o qual tinha acabeça em dous pedaços, E o corpo chego de as outes, que por m.tas uezes
{{PAGE:16}}
lhe tinha dado: e Mag.e seia seruido pellas chagas de Christo de acodir pella honrra
deste seu Sassallo, pois por Zelar seu Real seruiço ueyo a cabar taõ afrontozamente. Lem
bro a V. Mag.e que os V.Reys da India, como taõ longe de V. Mag.e naõ fazem Iultiça as par
tes, E assy que se me fora Licito passar a esse Reyno o fizera, pera me deitar a esses Redos pês,
pedindo como peço Iustiça sobre Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo, pois me matou meu marido, por
fazer o seru.co de V. Mag.e deyxandome pobre, E moça, neste Oriente sem emparo mais que
o do Ceo, E o que me for dado por V. Mag.e a quem o s.or Deos acreçente auida com prosperas
uietorias, para em para da nação Portugueza & p.a Goa em 18. de Nour.o de 1644
dona Francisca Sacramento
{{PAGE:17}}
Prel. Ioa Vinda nogalia d̄ Sto Lo
Os Andre salem alcr de faza Ree
Sor̄
Sesta Barra onde asisto ha quatro dias no despacho do Galeão São Lço, que se faz
a Vela a Manila pravendo a Deos̄ para esse Reino, me deraõ se a carta e papeis dos oficiaes da
Camara da Cidade de Macau, que vaõ neste maçete; E por a materia que contē importar
tanto o seruiço e fazenda de V. mgde, e dizer a aquella Cidade mandar outros duplica
dos a mezada fazenda; me pareceo mandar estes nesta via, pera V. mgde e mandar
prouer no caso como for seruido.
Deste Excesso, e doutros (posto que naõ taõ atrazados) que se ordina Mentecometeo nestas
partes contra a fazenda Real, e do pouco ou nenhum caso que se sobre isso costuma fiz
em seu fauor, naõ sò tem nassido o estar taõ atrazada; mas de naõ auer que a defenda
e correr tudo o em que be parte es dezemparo que noutras occazioins tenho Representado
a V. mgde, Cuja Real pessoa q̄ de Nosso Sor y os largos annos.
A Barrado Esca a 21 de Janeiro de 1645
testas
Andre Molez
{{PAGE:18}}
Nóres da mesa da Fazenda Real de Goa.
R36A6
Docto que os ministros da Real Fazenda, que Sua Majestade nesta terra
terão cuidado de dar a essa mesa dela conta daquilo que está a seu cargo, pareceu
vía a este tribunal desta cidade, que devia dela também a V. Senhoria das diligências
que este ano fes, para segurança daquilo que D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira
da Rente tomou sobre si, ainda que surtiram umas nenhuma, e outras pouco
eficazes. As quais diligências foram, que requeremos ao capitão-mor La
Carvalho de Souza, e ao padre Manuel Fr. Gouveia deste Bispado, que
dessem ao dito D. Sebastião, para que não fugisse, como se presumia, para cima
sem dar contas, e pagar ao Real Aver o muito que se dizia, e era publicamente
notório lhe dever, como constará de um papel de requerimento, e prisão.
Sobre isso lhes mandamos intimar, e eles devem mandar a V. Senhoria razão
o qual papel mandamos ao nosso V. Rei, por conter mais outras muitas, e que
culpas do dito D. Sebastião, de que damos a sua Excia. ali informação.
Com o Feitor António de Aguilar o Zorio fizemos para o mesmo fim
mas diligências de palavra, e por terceiras pessoas, e ele acudiu bem a elas.
Todas as quais foi preso, e fica o dito Dom Sebastião, com os bens, e
sua casa se lhe acharam inventariados, e depositados, como os sobreditos
capitão-mor, Padre Gouveia e Reitor avisaram a V. Ms.:
—
Depois, correndo fama, com muito fundamento, que de mesma
maneira tratava o mesmo Dom Sebastião de fugir, fizemos outro requerimento e por testa-
mento escrito, e autêntico também, aos ditos Capitão-mor Geral, e Freitor para que pois estava
em parte menos segura, o mudasse a outra, que o fosse de todo, e tratassem de
apreender, e inventariar, e depositar seus bens, que estavam, e estão sonegados: re-
cusaram-no fazer, contentando-se com lhe dobrar as vigias na mesma prisão,
fazer um Requerimento muito leve sobre os ditos bens ao Pe. Reitor da Companhia em
cujo colégio sabe toda esta terra está.
O Requerimento e protesto, que fizemos ao Reitor, m.
a V. Ms. justificado, e outro papel dos dar
{{PAGE:19}}
o dito Dom Sebastião, afora os que Vs. Ms. saberaõ por outros papeis dos mi
nistros actuaes, e dos que o foram estes annos passados. Pam bem mandamos a Vs.
Ms. hum escritório, que os Off.°s desta Cid.°e o anno passado escreueram ao mesmo
Dom Sebastião pedindolhe, que soltasse, ou, pozesse em hum dos fortes desta pra-
ça, ou em hum conuento de Religião, ao Administrador Diogo Vaz Reyre, que
tinha cruel, e indignam.°e prezo em huā masmorra de baixo descus pès na caza
onde Viuia, e offerecendolhe sinco mil pezos de fiança a bonada, se alguā couza
deuesse à fazenda Real, e naõ o quis soltar, nem tomar taõ grande segurança, sò
pollo matar, como matou com suas proprias maos impia, e inhumanam.°e. Manda-
mos mais a Vs. Ms. a copia do Ouro protesto, que o P.° Rey Bento de Christo Capucho,
sendo o anno passado Gou.°r deste Bispado, e conselheiro da dita Fazenda Real, fes
aos officiaes desta Cid.°e nossos antecessores, sobre a segurança della, pois Via, q̄
este fidalgo a consumia, leuado deseu bom zelo, e por obrigaçaõ de seu titulo
de conselheiro dito, pello qual protesto elles nada obraram, e deuia ser por es-
tarem certos, que o dito Dom Sebastião naõ daria lugar a isso. Petodos os quais pa-
peis VS. Ms. Veraõ q.to os ditos officiaes p.tados desta Cid.°e e nos, e o dito P.° Prey
Bento obramos p.a bem da fazenda de sua Mag.°e e o nenhum effeito, que nj
uemos, nem nos, nē elles, por elle D. Sebastião aquerer ter em sy, e cou bo
A que elle tem de seu, he m.ta pois se sabe passa de sem paens
e de dez mil patacas para, afora valia de mtas. mais em viquas faz.°s. P
ou, amor parte consta as claras estar no Collegio da Comp.°a por onde conuem,
se se ouuer de tomar p.a sua Mag.°e Venhaõ ordens muy apertadas no cazo, mande-
do se embarguem os bens, que a mesma Comp.°a aqui tiuer, que saõ mtos ate entreg-
os dito D. Sebastião. E bom sera mandaremlhes Vs. Ms. là em bargar as a-
deas destas Prou.°as que sò com estas meyos sepodera conseguir o dito fim.
Quando prenderam ao mesmo D. Sebastião, foy descuido dos ministros
elle
da faz.°da Real, naõ assegurarem logo q.to em caza tinha, por que dilatando a mes-
prizaõ huā tarde com escuzas sobre ella ao Cap.°m geral, naquelle meyo tempo ma-
dou da dita casa p.a o dito Collo a Vista de q.tos alli se acharam, tudo o precioso,
comsigo tinha, como consta, e depois naõ quizeram os P.°s (nem o mais, que là tem
seu, e lhe recolheram o an̄o passado a Vista de toda esta terra entregallo ao dito Fei-
tor, q̄ lho requereo, como acima dicemos.
O que se achou em caza do dito D. Sebastião, foy mto. dos Castelhanos,
que elle lhe auia furtado, com capa de o confiscar p.a sua Mag.°e mas tudo muy pou-
co p.a o mais, que lhes roubou, e tem desen. Em lhe naõ assegurarem o que em caza
tinha odia, que o prenderam, naõ teue o Cap.°m Geral culpa, pois só aprizaõ lhe
requereram os ministros da Faz.°da de sua Mag.°e e essa mandou fazer, que se
a segurança desens bens lhe requeressē, tambem o faria. Mas elles daraõ ra-
zão a VS. Ms. do por que lho naõ requereram entaõ, se bem nos sim, lho reque-
rêramos acabado o que desta mater
{{PAGE:20}}
nos parece a Vizar a Vs Ms, cujas illustres pessoas gde
e 3. de Nouembro de 1644. Annos Refael. azias de M
e escriuaõ da camara desta cid.e de São Paulo, a sobescreuy
Manda da Benção
Franco Botelho pra
mendes Cordovão
ar Vaz Teixera
{{PAGE:21}}
430 At
tr.a
Frelado do Requerim.to do Pe Gou.or fr. Bento
de X.o aos off.os da Cidade sobre a faz.da Real
Frey Bento de X.o da Sera fica ordē dos Capuchos de scaluos da s.ta Prou.a
da Madre de Deos̄ de Goa, gou.or deste Bispado da cima, pello illustr.o e Re
uezendiss.o snōr Dom frei fran.co dos martires Acobispo de Goa, Metropo
litano, e Primaz da India &r.a como conselhr.o que sou nesta Cide da me
za da Caz.da de Bey nosso snōr Dom Ioaõ o P.o de Portugal (que Deos pro
pere muitos annos) e como eu lobeigado em consiencia, e honra a procurar todo
o sumento Licito della, por todos os meyos honestos, que me fora possiueis,
cacuitar da minha parte qualquer perdas que entender podera ter a mes
ma Real fazenda, ou por qualquier caminho, que seja, julgo diante
do mesmo Deos, que a terá de prezente muy grande, se o Capitam Geral desta
praça D. Sebastiaõ Colo da Syluêra continuar (como até agora indeuidam.te
continuou) cō administraçaõ della, depois que injusta mente prendeo, passa
ja de boam annos, e matou a troz m.te ao Administrador da dita faz.da Real
Diogo Vaz freire, nay em seis mezes, sendo aprencipal o rigo de o pre
der, e matar na forma dita orançoe entrandauel, e o dio figadal, que a dito
Capitam Geral he cobrem, por elle dito Administrador lhe naõ consentir meter
a maõ na mesma Real fazenda com perda considerauel della, como por Vezes
aintentou meter Coque tudo a Seu tempo constará de papeis autenticos onde
comprir) sendo tambem elle Capitam Geral conselheiro da dita meza da fa
zenda Real desta dita Cidade, e por esso deue tratar de seu acrecentam.to
e declarar todo o menos cábo della, que lhe fosse possiuel, o que naõ fes, esque
cido da Obrigaçaõ de ministro della, antes por sua culpa há padecido a mes
ma Real fazenda muitos danos, assim na de que se entregou indouidam.te
por morte do dito Administrador, Leuantandosse a mayores com o cargo da
dita Administraçaõ, naõ o podendo fazer nem lhe pertencem do exercitallo, e o
mo pella ruim dispoziçaõ della, que todo este anno teue (o que tudo tambē
constara, quando foi tempo nos Tribunais a que conuiers. E porq.to depuz te
se entregou mais o dito Capitam Geral a força de muita cantidade de prata,
ouro, e outras fazendas de Beys Hellippe X.o de Espanha, e de seu
Vassallos os Castelhanos, que aqui actualmente estaõ (como he notorio
a tal entrega) naõ lhe tocando por nenhum titulo, senaõ a Vs m̄s. snorēs
Juizes, Mercadores, e Proc.or desta Cidade, aos quaes o sor̄ V Bey Conde
de Aueiras acometao por Carta particular, que Os mis pera isso de sua Excel
lencia tiueraõ, e a elle Capitam Geral sem.te a forma, e modo do dita entrega,
que era depositado tudo inuentario do em maõr de Cidade se
guros furiguos, e abbnados. E alem disto pretende elle Capitam Geral gas
tar de seu moto proprio, e só por sós parecer, e querer ta a dita prata,
ouro,
{{PAGE:22}}
tr.o
Ouros e fazendas por mão do dito Capitão geral, se pode com m.to fundam.to presu
neve grande dano da fazenda Real por não ser fiel a ela, se a dita prata, fa
zendas, couzo, sconueria de confiscar para El Rey nossos nōr, ou se ouverem
de tornar a seus danos, pagandosse seu valor da mesma Real faz.da estando gasta
das. Portado o qual, em descargo de minha consciencia, e honra, e comprim.to
da obrigação dita, que tenho por conselheiro da mesa da fazenda Real desta Cid.e
e por entender, que assim he serviço de El Rey nosso senhor Dom Joaõ o P.o e do dito Snor̄ V Bey, e peza que não aconte
ça vir este miserável pouo, e V Sm. com elle apagar do seu asperdades q̄
a dita fazenda Real tiver especialm.te no tocante a dita prata, ouro, e fazendas
de El Rey de Castella, e de seus Vassallos? peço e Requeiro a Osms Mores̄
Juizes, Vereadores, e procurador desta dita Cidade em nome do dito Rey
nosso senhor Dom Joaõ o P.o e do dito Snor̄ V Bey, e dos ministros da
mesa Real, da fazenda de Goa, que logo procure cō effeito, que se abra a
via de Administrador, que dizem há, e se lhe entregue toda a fazenda R.l
que se achar, não permitindo, que o dito Capitão geral corra mais com a ditta
administração della. E outrossi peço e requero a Os mis, do mesmo modo, q̄
procurem, que effectivamente desista elle Capitão geral da dita inde
vida entrega, em que esta, da dita praça, ouro, e fazendas de El Rey Felipe
pe, e seus Vassallos, e tudo entregue a Os mis. para o depontarem em mais
de pessoas seguras fizej, riq̄ as, da bonadas, com comprim.to da dita ordem do
snor V Rey, sem consertirem secreto cousa alguma de dita prata, ouro,
e fazendas, e digo dem a viso a sua excellencia para mandar o que mais
conuier ao serviço de sua Mag.e E assim mesmo peço, e requero a Os ms.
que o Lugar do depósito, onde ajam de estar a dita prata, fazendas couzo, dos
Castelhanos não seja o Colégio de Companhia de Jesus, aonde estão somente as di
tas fazendas, que dally o cue mandar tirar porque como he casa grande
e de Religiosos, que não podem Vigiar, nem defender o dito depósito, podera
haver nelle algum furto, em dano da faz.da Real, como já houve em can
tid.e de mais de três mil réis da dita prata, dos mesmos Castelhanos
nelle estavam depositados, como hé notorio. O que tudo peço e Requero a V ms.
na forma dita por Ser cousa certa, que o dito Capitão geral não hé pessoa
fiel para por si só administrar a dita Real fazenda por se saber não
ser fiel a ella Como fica ditto:) nem a bonada p.a estar entregue della
de depósito dos Castelhanos, por não ser decredito nisto de fazenda, pois não
mercador a bonado nelle: nem segura, por não ser casado na terra, e
ser solteiro, sem bens de raiz nella que se possa ir fugido, cada vez
que juizer, como será delle o faça, pelos crimes e normes devazias
que lid.es, que tem cometido, e são notorios, do que ia fui auisado, por
pessoa mais graue, e decredito: nem rique, porque por muito que tenha de seus
não pode aterceira parte de fazenda Real, e dos Castelhanos, de que
está entreg. Alem dicto ou ser pessoa poderosa, como fidalgo, q̄
he, e estar do afabanda Trace muita intia, e estar criminoso
em V.
{{PAGE:23}}
tr.o
Em Varios Casos atrozes, que são publicos, e alguns dignos de perdimento de seus bens.
E mais peço, e requero a V. ms. que lhe peçam, e façam dar fianças grossas, e a bonadas a todas as pessoas faltas e menos Cabos da fazenda Real,
que se lhes prouar ao vertido, e tiver ao diante, ter por sua Culpa de Contia, e quina lente a toda fazenda Real, que em suas mãos tem em trado
e do dito deposito dos Castelhanos. Não fazendo V. ms. tudo isto assim como
de seu bom Zelo da Segurança da Real fazenda senão espera) lhes
protesto por todas as perdas, e danos della, que tiver por causa do dito Capitão geral, em qualquer das cousas referidas, p.a se auerá pellas
pessoas, e bens de Os mis. ouvidos, e por auer: os q.es requerimentos
e protesto faço a V. ms. em toda a melhor forma de direito, que deuo
e posso, a qual aqui hey por impressa, e declarada. E deste papel
dos ditos Requerimentos, e protesto me fiza original justificado, p.a
mandar a El Rey nosso snōr, e ao s.° Bey, Câmara
geral da Real fazenda de Goa, camde mais cumprir, as
sim pera meu descargo como pera a todo tempo conste desta
minha diligência em bem da fazenda de CBey nouo s.r que tam
acriscada está em poder do dito Capitão Geral, e neste risco sós V. s.
com a authoridade e potestade de seus officios, de manda da Real
a podem, e devem assegurar, pois não ha nesta terra outras justiças
de sua Mag.de a que Eu pos natur dança. Finalmente
fazer, e de esperar usasa fé da perigo natur dança. Finalmente
mandamos a frco montr.o homem escrevão deste nosso juizo Ec
e lhço que lha em pessoa intimar este nosso papel dos ditos requeri
mentos e protesto aos snorēs officiais desta Cidade Gonçalo da Silua
e Vasco Barboza de Mello Juizes ordinarios, Diogo Vas Bauos
Ouvidor, e Vereador mais Velho, Antonio Galvão Godinho,
e Marcos Botelho Pre.a tambem Vereadores, e P.o Alures
Pinto Procurador sendolho todo de Verbo ad Verbum, e com sua
Resposta nos torne em modo, que faça fé. Macaé. 26. de
outubro de 1643. annos — frei Bento de X.° governador.
T
Frei Cado do termo da intimação.
Aos vinte e Seis dias do mes de outubro de 1643, annos nesta Cidade
do Nome de Deos na Comarca. Eu escrevão abaixo nomeado por mā
dado do muyto Rdo P.e Governador fr. Bento de X.° na Caza da
Camera desta Cidade &.a E beindo nella de prezente, ouu.or
e Vereador Diogo Vas Bauos, Cos Juizes ordinarios, Gonçalo da
Silua
{{PAGE:24}}
tr.a
Da Sylva, e Casso Barboza de Mello, e Procur. p.o Alures Pinheiro
to: a todos elles juntos, intimai outra via de protesto da parte
do dito sr. Gou.or que em tudo hé semelhante a este segundo
atras, e acima, de que dou minha fé passar na Verdade o qual
ficou em poder dos ditos off.ºs da Cidade, por bem do que fiz este
termo de intimação. Eu Fran.co Montr.o homem Escriuão do Ec.
e lhço, que o escreuy & qual protesto, e intimação Aqui
se tresladar hum, e f. d mte sem acrescentar, nem diminuir couza algũa que deuia da faça da propriez
e Riginari a que me reporto pello que aues se pode e deve dar inte fé, e eu Dioem juizo, e fiz este como se
xaria aos proprios e Riginarios se apresentassem fossem
E Vai com certidão com outro official asinado no Com
certo macar em 4 de resto de 1644 ao no Colar
o fiz escreuer e sob cresto del Rei o nome de Joaõ
Colao d̄ Azo
te
Comcertarão e nos affinador
Manoel Roiz̄ manço
Ioaõ Perez
Colao e Azo
{{PAGE:25}}
a de donora de diaz de caenene
de nogaliaõ Solo
Muy Alto E Poderozo Rey
E senhor Nosso.
1.o uido he sette
AHU
144 as
Os Officiais q̄ o Anno passado de 1642 Serviraõ nesta Cid.
Este o arão na administraçaõ, e gouerno publico della, e menio
zotempo, por sua e nossa bra serte chegou a esta terra a Verit
za noua da feliça aclamaçaõ de Vossa Sereníssima Magestade, e de su
toza Recuperaçaõ em seus Reynos, E o Rados, Larga, E defoza me
E ainda por Rellaçaõ marítima feliçarao o commio a plauzo, e ger
a legria, e gosto, com q̄ de toda esta cidade, e seus moradores
Vossa Real Magestade, obedecido, E aclamado, na hora e naõ taõ
noua se diuulgou, por Vnito, E Verdadeiro Rey Nosso, e p.
uerçal senhor desse já dito o Reyno seu, e nā há tanto Ir
tiranizado, e juntamte o prazer, E fidelidade, cō q̄ foi de to
Em geral o sereníssimo Princepe senhor nosso, q̄ Deus por su
gos, e felices annos e o Venturozas Glorias, e melhorados sucess
propozo e guarde, Venerado, e jurado por Vniuersal herdeiro, E V
socessor de Vossa Sereníssima Magestade cō o q̄ os q̄ de prezte nos oc
mos e moscu Real seruiço assistindo ao gouerno desta sua
da camara, E Cidade, em temdemos q̄ naõ comunha tornaraõ
agora de nouo a manifestar o mto q̄ estes seus Leais Valhalos qu
nestes Vltimos fins̄ do mundo, E longes delle, se auenteiaraõ e
Solennizarē com taõ claras mostras de amor, E fidelidade este
soberano successo, contentandonos só mtas com darmos a Vossa Sn
al Magestade conta mto por meudo, E com a Verdade q̄ a taõ Catho
lice princepe se deue, do estado prezte da tra, E sucessor della des
em q̄ comessamos cō esta nossa Ocupassaõ, e gouerno, cō certe
za temos de q̄ Vossa Sereníssima Magestade sera seruido Remediar
o q̄ por algū e a minho, ou de alguā maneira possa prejudicar
bem, com ceruacaõ, E augmento desta Cidade
no ē
Rez
E mo Pro Lugar se nos offerece tratar das couzas E q
no sette an. qual de algus̄ mezes ante
i em sette an.
qual de algus̄ mezes ante
{{PAGE:26}}
prendeo em hum gudom
7 ao administrador da fazenda real
hus, que entre ambos ouve
nha No forte em que Rezide prezo em hum podaõ, e com machos e
nistrador da fazenda de Vossa Real Magestade Diogo Vas Freire Car
ro de habito de São Paulo por de saberes que entre si tiverão, e por cousas
que Recrecerão de algumas duvidas que se moverão, E de que o cap.m Geral
vedar em tudo por interoconta, E satisfação a vossa Inquisição E crer que no
pareceo perecerião as couzas desta administração e o afalta de sua
assistençia a ellas, e mo pro dia dia de nosso gouerno, e do mes de janeiro
acudio esta Cidade em corporada ao forte de São Paulo em que o Cap
Geral Rezide, E em nome de Vossa Real Magestade lhe pedimos, e com todo
lhe aConcia em confissão solteira em o menos quando achace que com jn
de 50. mil passagens ao dias uitador, as os obrigações de seu officio, ou ao menos quando achaçe que com jn
resse aprezentem em ven fate, em auto o tiuesse no forte daqui na barra, ou no collegio
zea publica com terra do que souesção da compa, ou no tronco publico temendo nos de sua má naturaza
no juis fazer.
cante uendo o que sucedeo a francado com huã frança de Sincoen
ta mil rabaicas que offerecia en segurança de toda, e qualqer quebra,
e falta que ouuesse na Real fazenda, E de que a todo tempo constar
o a alguns meses o matra as penjues. e que naõ só mte naõ quis fazer, mas vejo a mattar algũs mezes de
negandolhe a confissão en mais saba por que a recida mto lhe pedia mandando juntamte
taõ lhe dera, de negandolhe vigoria, e cruelmte os Sacramentos, e ainda
o da Confissão que em carecida mto lhe pedia mandando juntamte
enerte e em mao que teraia ao adui
gioce _ do dessoces destas mates
E se andalo, E Resentimento de toda esta cidade E Povo, Acção de que
sudar saber façaõ a vossa Real magestade como taõbem dos Rego
E couzas da administração da fortaleza de Vossa Real Magestade qu
por sua mão corrē
Depois desta naõ me nos dezastrada que injusta, e se
tida moeste de Diogo Vas Freire se achou o cap.m Geral taõ ar
item que hauer de dar fogo a poluara, e assim com esmo forte está, e com tantas ueras pe
ntendeo que o faria: e p.a o dianti um gra louco, E como tal andou publicando que pertendia dar que
is joute o illo
a caza da poluara que nomesmo forte está, e com tantas ueras pe
necessario hirmos ao collegio de São Paulo da Lernos do Re
delle, e pellas cazas dos homẽs de Respeito pedindo a todos
Religiosos como se culares quizerẽ asistirlhe, e ter maõs
cobrouandolhe taõ inico intento, diligas que fizemos as
Rezaõ de nosso cargo, como taõbem por Noto Requerer
frei Bento de São Paulo, gl̄z deste Bispado dizendo nos sabio
queria o Cap̄n geral D. Se Bachaõ Lobo da Silveira p
za da Poluara com que a brazaçe toda esta Cidade a
mos de serto ter o dito Capm geral chaues falça
poluara & que se fes se bem o padre Reitor do Collegio
naõ quis fazer sem que pro lhe dessemos m
peti
mo fizemos assin
is de dous mezes
{{PAGE:27}}
Em linte oito de Nouembro de i64
{{PAGE:28}}
Plar Cos Botelho p.a
Clo
De Vasbanoro
he a scobárbo sa de mello
{{PAGE:29}}
1835
Preslado de hum escrito q̄ acid.o passa da mão dou
ao P.º Reytor da Comp.ª de Jesus, Jp.º do Amr.º
Suposto q̄ Estauā escus. adjuntos tiuemos noticia q̄ V. P. senão queria meter nos me q̄
do capitaõ q̄ pa Rezoins q̄ p.a isso tinha V. P. com tudo nos pareceo serē os preztes de cali
d̄,o q̄ faltariamos ao seru.iço de Ds.º e de sm.º el Rey Dom João 4.º nosso s.º se p̄ todas as
Vias lhe naõ bascacemos os meyos e caminhos q̄ mais se aiustaçe ao seru.iço, do dito s.º E a
ssy nos Rezoluemos, conhecendo ozello e Religiaõ de V. P. e de toda a Comp.ª de Jesvs, pedir
a V. P. pello q̄ deue ao Seru.iço de Ds.º, e del Rey, e ao bom cōmu, e conseruação desta sua cid.ª,
Visto o perigo em q̄ deprez.te estâ com as meassas q̄ dizem, faz o capitaõ gl.º depor fogo a
Requerimto
caza da poluara como a V. P. hi patente, de q̄ nas fizerão Requerimto; q̄ a seu tempo mostra
remos, o q̄ agora p̄ o nistid., naõ declaramos, e q̄ entendermos almportancia deste neg.º, e q̄
hi gūe o farā com mais zello e prudencia, como comūe ao Seru.iço do Ds.º e de sua Mx.ª e anthorio,
e conseruaçaõ do capitaõ geral, e a segurança desta cid.ª q̄ taõ atemoriz.da está com o Receo
da caza da poluara q̄ V. P. o queira tomar a sua conta, o faça nelle o q̄ mais uir, comūtar:
Seru.iço de Ds.º e de sm.ºs, a qm.º V. P. fará grande seru.iço e estauā mto nr.º q̄ protestamos
Reconhecer em toda a ocaziaõ, ou. Ds.º a V. P., a je domīgo a tarde dous de Mayo de seis
contos e corenta e tres ā. Dioguo Vas bauoro, Antonio galuaõ gl.º, Marcos botelho pra., Vas
co barboza de m.to gonçalo da silua, Pedro alues p.Lo yoão Vas pr.to, M.el de magalhais cou,
An.to doliur.a aranha, pero Roiz̄ teixra, com fece o escrito atras cō hum original q̄ os off.es
da cid.ª e a djuntos escritos na uolta desta meja folha estaõ asinados sem acresentar no de
menuir couza alguā q̄ duuida faça, p̄llo q̄ a este se pode e deue dar jntra fû E credito co
mo se daria ao propio o Riginal que foi mandado pellos ditos offes ao R.do P.º Reytor
da Comp.ª de Jesus, E uay concertado cō outro offiçial asin.do no conserto sobjuram.to de meu off.o
Eu Antonyo Valente p.ra escriuaõ da ouuidorya q̄ o iustifiquei, Macar em dez de mayo
de seiscentos e corenta e tres ā. concertado p.l nos off.es asinados no conserto, An.to Valente
p.ra M.el godinho Collaço.
Treslado da Reposta do P.º Reytor.
São as Rezoins q̄ VS. SS. me propoem pa o q̄ pretendē taõ forçozas, como a justa das
cō o seru.iço de Ds.º, zello do bem comū, e del Rey nosso s.º Dom joaõ 4.º e q̄ isso me Rendo
de todo a ellas deix.do p̄ hora a Rezuluçaõ em q̄ estaua p.a outro tēpo, e procurarey dami:
nha pte p.a p̄ todo o cuidado e meyos q̄ puder p.a com o feito seruir a V. S. Ms., e a toda essa
cial, ass. nosso s.º temos ia no pro lugar, a cudido cō missas, E oraçoin̄s elle cuidhe
o neg.º no sem caminhe e ajude p.a q̄ seiamos cō o q̄ pretendemos elle pa a V. S. Ms. por
{{PAGE:30}}
Clara
Clara
Largos Ca collegio oje Domingo, Gp.ª do amro; o qe bescrito e Reposta a que se tresladou
bem e fielmente sem acresentar nem demenuir couza algua q̄ duuida, faça dos propios
os Originais (p) ordem em andado desta nobre elcalud̄). a q̄ me Reporto pello q̄ a estesse:
podē e deuem dar inteira feê e credito em junto e fora delle, como se daria aos propios se
aprezos fossē, e vay comserto. cō outro official asin.do no Comserto. Macao Vinte E seis di
as domes de Ant.o de mil e seiscentos e Corenta e Cyatro ā hu nicolao de az.o Escriuaõ
p̄ S M.er q̄ o fis esCreuer e sob esCray Nicolao de azauto.
Preslado do Rellatr.o q̄ o soff.es da cid.e do anno p.do
mandaraõ a Dom sebastiaõ lobo da silueira sendo cap.to
gl. desta praça
Suposto q̄ as prouizoẽs dos sorē V. Reis e gouern.dores da Jndia nos mandaraõ expressamte, de
mos e o fauor e aiuda aos administrad.os da fr.ca R.el pa seruirē seu cargo Reimpedimēto
algum, e tratarē da administração da dita fr.ca q̄ só a elle cometerão prohibindo a q.el q̄
outro Ministro superior ou jmfirior, o poder semeter nella, nos com tudo não quizemos Vzar
do poder q̄ nos dauaõ a ditas prouizoẽs assy q̄ euitarmos duuidas q̄ o entendimēto dellas.
podia cauzar como p̄ querermos obrigar a V M. mais com sumiçaõ, e como de mtos. de seus ser
uidores q̄ p̄ Via de jurisdiçaõ fomos todos os off.es desta cid̄. q̄ este anno de seiscentos E
corenta e tres seruimos q̄ pelouro, sesta fra pola menha dois do prez.te mez de Ian.ro ao forte
licto.
donde ē Rezida e lhe pedimos m.to q̄ mr.o e q̄ Ian.ro no lo que zece fz.or mr.o mandar soltar, ao
administrador da fazenda R.el Dio Vas frei e, q̄ V. M. tem prezo nosso forte, e hum godaõ
senaõ q̄ Pello Resp.to q̄ se deuia a hū ministro de sua calid̄, o quizeçe meter, e hū conuento.
q̄.l VSIl mais leuace gosto, prezo cō os machos, e q̄ estaua, ou no forte da barra, ou no denoua
sorā da guia, ou no Tronco de S Mx.a, e q̄ sobre tudo daria de uinte atho sencoēta mil par
daõs de fiança depozitaria a senão auzentar do Juizo e q̄ V M. apuzece prezo, cō o q̄ ficaua
Elle mais seguro assi pa crimes seus tenha, como pa Cobrança da fazenda Real, se he q̄ Deuia
alguā Ves Respondeo q̄ a mor molestia q̄ lhe podiamos dar, hera falarlhe neste neg.o
no q̄ dissemos a V M q̄ naõ tinhamos tençaõ de no lestar a V M. nē agora, nē nunca e q̄ falla
uamos nelle p̄ entendermos, e supormos, seruiamos nisso a s M.e del Rey Dom yoão 4.o nosso
s.or q̄ Ds̄ p.a o sacisfz.m sempr.e a sordes̄ do s.r V Rey o gour.dores, terçando cō V M. sobre hū
min str.o de s Mo.l q̄ Ds̄ vs. em tre o q.e e V Ill, há tão pouca afeiçaõ como a esperiençia tem
{{PAGE:31}}
mostrado, e a tantos annos, e q̄ pella mesma causa, lhe naõ estaua a V. M. a conto p̄ sua
m.ta fidalguia a tello prezo em seu poder, pois auia fortes de S. M. e q̄ podia estar se
guro o muito mais cō a abonada fiança q̄ lhe prezentaua, V. M. naõ quis condesender ho a
yusta petiçaõ desta cid̄. e sô nos disse q̄ a passaria p.a outra casa terrea nomes mo forte,
E se quizecemos, q̄ lhe largaria V. M. as casas e q̄ Viue, e q̄ V. M. se hiria p.a o godão on
de elle estaua, ou p.a a casa terrea q̄ V. M. nos oferecia, o q̄ naõ ascitamos p.a nos naõ es
tar a cōto a conssecaõ de V. Ill. pois nos negaua o prinçipal, e o q̄ hera mayor do seruo, de
S. M. q̄ Ds̄ g.e casey nos achamos obrig.dos a mandar a V. M. este Relati.o de tudo o q̄
se passou neste neg.o, da q̄ nos fica o treslado justificado p.a a t.do o tpō mostrarmos as.
M.to q̄ V. Ill.s, e a seus ministros superiores, o q̄ na matr.a obramos de q̄ naõ espera
mos Reposta porq̄ não hé nossa tençaõ, andarmos cō V. M. cō protestos, q̄.o o R seia m.to
neçessr.a de s. M. q̄ Ds̄ V.e e so pretendemos neste dar noticia
se Cumprir, o q̄ se tē paçado nelles, Eu Ant.º Valente p.ca esCriu.o da Ouu.
mto do da Camara a sobscreuy em sinco de Ian.ro de seisCentos E Corenta
e 43
Dioguo Vaz bauaro. os q.es escritos e Relatorio aquy se tresladaraõ bem
e fielm.te por mandado dos officiaes desta muy Leal cid.e e vay em serta
com o Juiz ordin.ro gp.ar Vaz teyx.a gaquy se aseriou comigo em 30 de outub
del 642 Rafael Azias de Morades alferes e escriuaõ da camara desta
oid.e do nome de deos na cheria o fez escreuer e sobescreuy
gde Vaz teixra
Raphael Azias de Morades
{{PAGE:32}}
Tnº
Meza 410
parece
ao 21. de Mço de 1646
Auendose iusto neste comisº, os Papeis que de nouo vieraõ
da cidade de Macau, em tezaõ do cazo de Morte, sosedido
a Diogo Vaz Freire, daõ digno de castigo, e exemplar, e a
hũ Criado seu que ambos matou, Dom Sebastião Lobo da
Silveiras com tal escandollo, que merece o maior, e
mais de mostratiuo Castigo que se possa, e hũa petiçaõ
que neste comto. se deu por sua parte
Pareceo a Salvador Correa de Sá, que se execute
E se naõ alteze, aos dé, de V. M.ª que foi o anno pa-
ssado que Dom Sebastião Lobo viesse, achar Reino com
sua fazenda, donde merecē do castigo, Imagem mā
dará, Castigar porque tem por sospeitoza, as Informa-
çoẽs de Dom Sebastião Lobo, e das pessoas de Macau,
E ao comtrº Parece que não paça do constou nelle
Prepapeis, e deuas que viueraõ, e por testemunhas de vistas
que neste Comisº se tiraraõ que Dom Sebastião Lobo,
tendo governo de Macau, por differenças que teue, com
Diogo Vaz Freire administrador da fazenda de
V. M.ª de fidalgo de sua Casa Cavalleiro do hábito,
de Cristo, sobre materias de seus foros, o prendeo,
na fortaleza donde, açessia a donde o mattou, por
syy mosmo. Compantadas q̄ se lhe uiraõ, depois de
o Lançar em hũa Rua publica para della, o Leuarē
Clemtorrar, E naõ só mattou, a elle, senaõ a hũ,
Moço que o siruia seu, e ambos sem Comfiçaõ
o qual delicto, elle comfeçou fazer Portantta
sua EsCritta, asineg.e no quitoca a morte de
Diogo Vaz Freire e dandose conta, almaga, e
o anno Passado Por Consulta deste Comisº
Mandou V. M.ª de que elle viesse preso a este
Reino, E que se lhe esCreuesse seus bens e
se lhe contregasse, e nas cartas q̄ vieraõ, este
{{PAGE:33}}
João Carneiro de Montalvão
Primo, a creu queixa da mulher do morto
a V. M.ª guerrendo, o Mizarau
1
e que ficara, de pobreza, e sã, e seus filhos, com
de seu marido, e assi também, aceuerão, caitas e se
uaçaz da cidade, em que se queixá dele, da dita
de despender fazenda de V. M.ª que se queixa dele, da dita
E que escrever diara a cidade com grande mi-
de se por dezemtodos, pelo que parece ao
que V. M.ª devem andar de novo, que o dito, q̃
Sebastião, venha preso na forma, dar resolu-
ções de V. M.ª e q. que foi já à Índia o ano
do E q̃ os bens que V. M.ª mandou que por escre-
lhe entregaua se devem sobrestar, e que fique, C
tade del Rey: de portitados em mãos de pessoas
nadas; e a outra metade, em sua, para que em c
que se aya de dar satisfação à mulher do defun-
to lhe dee, juíza, entregue ao Mestre do navio
navios juízieren, e me sua Comp.ª e mando
escrever à mulher do morto, mande a este Re-
quezer, a satisfação da morte de seu marido, p
que nelle lhe mande V. Ill.ªs fazer justiça e
toda, a demonstração de vida. dis o mal escrito Venha
E que o viso Rei mande de vassar como se lhe
mandado, em nome de V. M.ª g.ª e como grão
por ser Comendador do hábito de Cristo, e que a pre-
saõ se passe, em nome de V. M.ª q̃ como grão
tre, e seja por pessoa eclesiástica o V. Comendador
dandom de xpō, Lisboa a 10 de maio de 1603
for gee la Rey Inquisidor
Ao Guile
João Delgado figo, Chaluador cor-
jbra
{{PAGE:34}}
Índia
Do Conselho Ultramarino
1646
sobre Amorte que deu Sebastião Lobo de Almada, Lugar-tenente
que foi de Maguã, Adio Vaz, Frei Cristão,
seu senhor, fisco
{{PAGE:35}}
sobredorães Aluão Cobo
Clo.
Lugue foj de Macau
Paulo de Paulo Robello
11381
{{PAGE:36}}
Senhor.
Sendo V. Ill.ª em forma do emcomo Dom Sebastião Lobo
da Silva, Capitão-Mor da Cidade de Macau, tinha preso
a Diogo Vaz Freire, Cavaleiro da Ordem de Cristo, Admi
nistrador da fazenda Real e Viagens de Japão; ouve
mistrador
Em grande por seu serviço mandar por Carta de 16 de outubro
de 1643, que logo o soltasse; avisando ao Admi
nistrador, Câmara de Macau, Caõ o Rei da Índia, desta
ordem, e as te que por Dom Sebastião ter acabado o seu
tempo, e pedir sucessor, lho mandasse, e que ele se
viesse para Goa, cim mediattamente nomeasse S. V. Ill.ª se
hú ministro de toda a confiança e satisfação, que fosse
Deuassar das competências, que entre ele e o dito Admi
nistrador houvera; para que aprezada a Verdade mais ex
actamente, fizesse castigar quem o mesquinho
estando este negócio neste estado, e sendo certo Dom Sebastião Lobo,
entre outros particulares, à Img.ª em carta de 20 de outubro
de 1643, que ele matara brevemente na prisão ao Admi
nistrador, sem forma de juízo, por convir assim ao crédito
del mes. de Nação Portuguesa, seguiança da qual
Cidade, e salvação da sua Vida, nomeando na mesma car
ta testemunha de sua defesa ao Sargento-mor Roque Dias
Coimbra, alegando juntamente para o mesmo efeito, o caso
de João Pereira Cortes Real, que vindo da Índia matara três
homens sem causa alguma.
E prosto que esta confiança por si só era bastante para se dar
{{PAGE:37}}
Rio
gue
Rio
L.
idade
isto
seis annos
Conta a Inq.ª; Comtudo, Pareceo ao Conselho naõ a
dar semprimro. approuar a Verdade por todas as Vias
possiueis; e as testemunhas seguintes que
sendo perguntado pello cazo, e Refferimto. que nelle
fezera o ditto Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo; Respondeo der
tro deste Cor.o, E uelle matara na prizaõ q̄ fezera
em sua casa, ao Administrador, sem ter nenhuā das
Causas q̄ ella tta na sua carta, E que esta morto fora
mto sintida, e estranhada por todas as tas ptes. e Cidade
Como o Reua em tudo o maes o proseçe dimento de Dom
Sebastiaõ Lobo.
Com este ditto e confiçaõ do mesmo Dom Sebastiaõ,
Reçeo ao Conselho das Contas almgd.ª, deste taõ a
Zolazo, Como fes por Certulta de 17 de nouro.
E q̄ hera necesro; e muito Conueniente ao seruir a V.ª
e boa administraçaõ da justiça, Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ, abomzecado, para este Reino, nas primras. embarco
çaõ que de Macau, ou Goa Viessem, que nesta Çidade
Deuassasse desta morte, dos maes livres q̄ se emqetaõ,
a Dom Sebastiaõ, o Dez.or António Veliszo de laures
e na outra o ouuidor da mesma Cidade.
foi Vn G.ª seruido Responder a Cons.da acima Refferida
o seguinte.
Como parece, Quanto a Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo
da silu.ra, e se lhe escreua a faz.a, incuiandosse o in
uentr.o del capor Rás, centregandosselhe; E p.a o Cazo
Cada
{{PAGE:38}}
6
6
bo
60
8
Rez.
Lxa 6.
Rezaõ
in Carta
Luís de Bello
Em q̃ naõ seia chegado o Capitão Geral, servia no entre-
tanto, o Ouvidor, o Sargento-Mor, e o Vereador Mares
Velho, Lxa. 17 de janr.ᵒ de 645. Reys.
João Menses
Acreço de nouo, Que a Câmara da Cidade de São Paulo
a iuza a V. Mg.ᵈᵉ por Carta de 28. de Novr.ᵒ de 643. pe-
dir a Dom Sebastião, que mudasse a Cuzaõ do Gudaõ
em q̃ tinha com machos ao Administrador da faz.ᵃ
Real, por Competências de Jurisdição q̃ entre ambos
havia, pa hu dos fortes da Cidade, ou p.a a Cadea p.ᶜᵃ, E
q̃ se lhe parecia que elle deuia alguā cousa à faz.ᵃ
de V. Mg.ᵈᵉ, o soltasse em fiança de cinquenta mil pa-
taças, E que a nenhuā desta propostas lhe quizera
de-
dessim, antes da hy a alguns mezes, em huā noite o
matara as pancadas, negandolhe os sacramentos que
encareçidam.ᵗᵉ lhe pedia, a qual morte fora tintida
L
cidua da dita dos naõ las p.tes e cidade.
puzaõ,
E Lq.na o contente dem se bastiaõ Com esta morte, dera
Garrette a hu moço q̃ terminao Administrador na
prizaõ, Do q̃ se Recebera no tauel escandalo, e Cin-
tinha
timto no Pouo, e Cid.ᵉ; E depois destas mortes, se
fingira dondo, Dizendo (e asej se entendia q̃ fazia) q̃
hauia de por fogo a caza da polura; Em tanto que foi
necess.ᵒ assistirem com elle por tpm̃ᵒ de dous mezes, o
Destar da Comp.ᵃ contra pessoas graues, p.a o deuir
tirem deste seu jntento; Entendendossem a es, q̃ taõbem
o tinha, depossar a Jucatará, e dalj ao landa; E
{{PAGE:39}}
Respondeo q̄ esta prezo pa sa
de
inq.
Ricto
por lhe dizerem q̄ huns religiosos com quem andaua em
competências, de terminauão responder a hum
protesto que elle lhes mandou intimar; assentara
em certo, que se o fizessem, hauia de desparar huā
peça, as boias huā banda, e por testemunha de Guena;
peça, as boias huā banda.
luis auiza almgde
Em Resaõ do q̄ a Rogou da Cidade, se a estiueraõ ao Les
Clo
religiosos de responder.
Junho do mesmo
O Capitaõ G.l leis de Camalho, q̄ se suscedeo no
lugo, auiza almg.de por conta de 8, de nou.o do an̄o
passado de 1644. Que chegara a Macau em 4 de
julho do mesmo anno, e q̄ achaua q̄ do Sebastiaõ
Lobo, tinha dado, do feito de saõ Paulo donde viu
Lobo,
portres dias, batteria alidade; E q̄ no mesm
declarar G.e degara, queria dar outro; E q̄ por
culpa, e pela morte do Administrador, e por
outras m.tas injustas os tinhaõ dos inocentes,
por asistir requerer o feitor da Fonseca, o mandara
prezo em custodia, pa o forte de sanctiago, Jnuenta
riandolhe sua faz.a, e de tudo mandar pessoas e
a inqor ao V Rej da Jndia.
Dona Fran.ca Sarr.to Veuua do Administrador, se
queixou a ensig.de por larto de 18 de nov.o de 1644
da morte de seu Marido, relatando q̄ do mes e bastiaõ
o teuera preso, e meteo em hua logia os bem aÇom
huā prossa a do barros peis, sem o deixar falar com
nenhuā pessoa; E com os desualazia, licados, E
{{PAGE:40}}
ano
Rio
ide
8
Luis
Escrauos, e nhũa Noite o matara a preços assoutes, naõ
o deixando confesçar, mandandoo lançar depois de
morto no adro da sé, onde ao outro dia o paulista
cebora aquelle taõ lastimoso espectaculo, e que
por Sebastiaõ lhe matara seu marido, por elle
lher ao concertor q̄ tomasse p̄ si os toldos dos solda-
dos q̄ naõ hauia no presídio. E que no dia em que
prendeo a seu marido, lhe dou bô e as suas cazas
e toda quanta fazenda nelle hauia, assistia a de seus
filhos, como o de Vas. S.a, a quem pras chagas de
Christo pedia Justiça contra Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo; q̄
com a morte de seu marido a deixar só pobre, e
desamparada, sendo moça, cantos Ria, e que nhũ
remédio tinha mais gô de os escrep.a
11
A Câmara da Cidade de Macau deu conta ao
Conselho da Fazenda de Goa, por carta de três de novembro de 1644,
que V.a da fazenda da presa inimiga almg.e
na dia do Gallicão São Lourenço, das muitas diligências que
fizera p̄a segurança da fazenda Real, que Dom Sebastiaõ
Lobo tem em si indicidamte; e da sua pessoa, por naõ
estar em prisão segura, mas q̄ uai teueraõ mto. pouco
effeito contra Nenhũ.
Affirma mais a carta nesta carta, que tudo o q̄ se achara
em casa de Dom Sebastiaõ, fora dos Castelhanos, a quem
o hauia furtado com lapa de confiscaçaõ para a Coroa
{{PAGE:41}}
ser contra a Rosa Mastrido muito pouco, para o m.to q̄ lhes Roubara,
Silva de Seu
e tinha de seu
indo prezo no carcere de seu Rado seu
tem carta de 25 de
in carta de 25 de
o Condetuuras a uiza a v m.e em carta de 25 de
diz: de 1644, em Como Diogo Vaz Fieiro morrera
de sy de 1644, em como Diogo Vaz Fieiro
diz
na prizaõ em q̄ staua a maõ dos Cafres de Doleba hiaõ
inqores a denūciado sobo, tem Confiçaõ, nem lhe darem lugar a fazer
Lobo, tem Confiçaõ, nem lhe darem lugar a fazer
Nenha acto de Catholico, Vindo a para
testemunhas de de, as depoenças q̄ hauia entre elle, e do testiaõ,
E prometeo cūprir
Nenhū acto de Catholico, Vindo a para nesta Cruel
E quis do Checostaua da carta do mesmo Dom
dia; e seis tas a elle, como a V Rej das dias; em
sebastiaõ
por ella preza Confeçaçaõ escritas a elle, como a V M̄. de São Ortecen
e
por procedir com os dar a matar, E que o modo de São Oite esc
L
todos; E que da causa que para ella auera se fa
quisiçoẽs, e tiraua Deuassa, p̄ se procedir com
de sincoenta rs̄ funçaõ.
idade de idade de idade subiecta
de 9. annos
instruio.
inquirir e se lhe desse por proposiçaõ de seu maria
L. de 1756 annos a esta cidade que o escreui
per
Juliço.
Com que pos a sua maõ e sob cargo do que prometeo pro
gos este Reo pelo seu Rogo estaua a maõ dos Cafres de Doleba
E que mto a R. se asigne a ditta Carta a maõ disse ser
Clo
{{PAGE:42}}
AHU
Snōr.
Sendo V. Mg.de informado, em como Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva,
Capitão Geral da Cidade de Macau, tinha preso a Diogo Rães, fr.e
Cavaleiro da Ordem de Cristo, Administrador da fazenda
Real e Viagens de Japão; ouve V. Mg.de por seu serviço man-
dar por Carta de 16 de outubro de 1643, que logo o soltasse;
avisando ao Administrador, Câmara de Macau, Ca-
pitaõ Geral da Índia, desta ordem, e acto, que por Dom Sebasti-
ão ter a cabado o seu tempo, e pedir sucessor, lho mandasse,
E que ele se dissesse para Goa, limme diatamente nomeasse o
V. Rey hum Ministro de toda a confiança, Estrifação, que
fosse devassar das competências que entre elle, e o Adminis-
trador houvesse, para que apurada de toda de muy exacta-
mente, fizesse castigar quem o merecesse.
Estando este negócio neste estado, escreveu Dom Sebastião
Lobo entre outros particulares, a V. Mg.de em carta de 20 de
outubro de 1643, que elle matara brevemente, na prisão, ao
Administrador, sem forma de juízo, por convir ao crédito de V. Mg.de, honrrada Nação Portuguesa, segurança
daquela Cidade, e salvação da sua vida; nomeando na
mesma carta, por testemunha de sua defesa, ao Sargento-mór
Rogo Dias Coimbra, alegando juntamente para o mesmo effeito
o caso de João Pereira da Corte Real, que vindo da Índia matara
três homens, com menos causa.
E posto que esta confissão possa do exame bastante para se dar
conta à Inq.da, contudo, pareceu ao Conselho não dar
{{PAGE:43}}
Semprem.te apparar a Verdade por todas as Vias possiueis;
P
a este fim, e hamou ao Sargento mor, Que sendo preguntado
pelo Cazo, e Refferim.to que nelle fezera o ditto Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo;
Respondeo dentro neste Conselho, Que elle matara na pução
que fezera em sua caza, ao Administrador, sem ter nenhu
ma causa que Rellatta na sua carta, E que esta morte fora muito bom
tida, e estranhada por todas aquellas p.tes e Cidade, Como o hera e
tudo o maes, o prosçedimento de Persebaltiaõ Lobo.
Com o te ditto, e confiçaõ do mesmo Dom Sebastiaõ, de
Conselho das contas a V Mg.de deste tardastimozo Cazo
por Consulta de 17. de Nouembro de 1644. E que hera nec
Emuito Conueniente ao Seru.o de V Mg.de, e boa admi
nçaõ da justiça, Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ, a bom Reca
este Reino, nas primras embarcaçoẽs, Que de N
Viessem, E que nesta Cidade Deuaçaue desta morte;
Crimes que se imputaõ a Dom Sebastiaõ, o Dezembro
Antonio Vellozo de Caceres, E na outra, o ouuidor da
Cidade.
foi mg.de seruido Responder a Consulta açom
o seguinte.
Como parece, Quanto a Vir prezo Dom Sebastiaõ Lobo da Sil
ueira, E se lhe escreua a fazenda, e nuiandosse o Jnuentr.o
della por Vias, Centoe gadosselhe; E para o Cazo em q̄ naõ seja
Regado o Capitaõ G.l, Sirua no entretanto, o ouuidor, o
sargento mor, e o tercador maes delho, Lxa. 17 de janeiro
de 1645 / Reys.
acreçeo.
{{PAGE:44}}
8
bo;
3a
saõ
Ioaõ
Clo
Auzeu, de Nouo, Que a samera da Cidade de Machado aiu
Za a V Mg.de por carta de 28 de Nou.ro de 643., pedir a
Dom Sebastiaõ, que mudasse a prizaõ do Gudam, em que
tinha com machos, ao Administrador da faz.ª Real,
por competências de jurisdiçaõ, que entre ambos hauia,
Para hu dos fortes da Cidade, ou para a cadea publica, E
q̄ se lhe parecia que elle deuia alguā couza á fazenda
de mg.de, o soltasse em fiança de Cincoenta mil patacas,
E que a nenhuā destas propostas lhe quizera deffinir, an
tes, dahy a alguns mezes, em huā Noite o matara as pan
cadas, Negandolhe os sacramentos, que encarecidamente
lhe pedia; a qual morte fora Çintida, e chorada de todos
Naquella sp.es e Cidade;
E que naõ Contente Dom Sebastiaõ Com esta morte, dera
garrotte a hū moço q̄ se uia ao Administrador, na
prizaõ; Do que se Recebera Notauel escandallo, e senti
mento no Pouo e Cidade; E depois destas mortes, se fingira
Doudo, Dizendo, Cassis se entendia que o fazia) Que
hauia de por fogo á caza da poluoza; em tanto, que foi
Necessro a uistirem com elle por tempo de dous mezes, o
Restor da Companhia, Contras pessoas graues, para o
diuistirem deste seu intento; Entendendosse
maes, Que taõbem o tinha, de passar a sacatará, e daly
ao landa, E por lhe dizerem q̄ huns Rillig.os Com quem
andaua em competencias, de terminauaõ Responder
Inquizisto que elle lhes mandou intimar; assentara
{{PAGE:45}}
Iozeph
Em Conselho, que se ofezessem, hauia de desparar huā peça,
Clara
Aruorar huā Bandeira, e por sse em som de Guerra, em caza
boque, a Rogos da Cidade, se abstiueraõ aquelles Rilligiosos
de Responder.
O Capitaõ G.l Luiz de Carvalho, q̄ he sucessor de o no Cargo, a
a V M.de por carta de 8. de Nouro. de 644., que chegou
a Macha em 4 de junho do mesmo anno, e achara pro-
sebastiaõ Lobo tinha dado, do forte de saõ Paulo, onde di-
por tres dias Battaria á Cidade; E que no mesmo em q̄ elle
Capitaõ Glegara, queira dar outra, E que por esta Culpa, E
p̄la da morte do Administrador, e por outras m.tas injustas
q̄ tinha dado a Jnnocentes, e por assy lho Requerer o fez
da faz Real, o mandara prezo em Custodia, para o f-
desano trago, e nuenta irandolhe sua faz
das a papeis, e auizo ao Rey da Jndia.
Dona fran.ca Sarmiento Viuua do Administrador,
queixou almq.de por Carta de 18 de nouro de 644, da ma-
de seu Marido, Recllatando, que Dom sebastiaõ, o teue
prezo oito mezes em huā logia obscura, Com huā gros e dos
nos Peis, Sem o deixar fallar Com menhã pessoa, E com o s.or
de sua Caza, Criados, e Escrauos, em Rua Nate o matara a
peros assoutes, Naõ o deixando Confeçar, Mandando o Len-
çar depois de morto, no aduo da see, onde ao outro dia, o Pouo
Vira, e chorara aquelle taõ bimozo espertaculo; E que Dom
sebastiaõ lhe matara seu marido, por elle lhe naõ concentir
E tomasse para sy os soldos dos soldados, q̄ naõ hauia no Prezidio,
E que.
{{PAGE:46}}
8
o sor.
Lourenço
ir
E que No Dia em que prendeo a seu Marido, lhe Roubara as
suas cazas, e toda quanta fazenda nellas hauia, assy sua, e descursos
Como de V Mg.de, a quem pellas chagas de Christo pedia justiça
Contra Dom Sebastião Lobo, Que Com a morte de seu marido, a
deixara só, pobre, e dezamparada, sendo moça, e antes
Rica, e que Nenhũ Remedio tinha, maes quo da de de Mgde.
A Câmara da Cidade de Macau, deu Conta ao Conselho da fazenda
de Goa por carta de tres de Novembro de 1644., Que o Recebedor da fazenda
Geral da qualle estado, enuiou a V mg.de na Via do Gallicão São
Lourenço, das muitas diligências que fezera para segurança
da fazenda Real, Que Dom Sebastião Lobo tem em sy, indiuidamente,
e da sua pessoa, por naõ estar em jnza segura, mas q̄
huãs teuerão muito pouco effeito, Contra outras
Affirma mais a Câmara notacarta, Quem do q̄ se achara
em Caza de Dom Sebastião, fora dos Castelhanos a quem o ha
uia faztado, Com Capa de Confiscação para a Coroa; mas tudo
muito pouco, para o muito q̄ lhes Roubara, e tinha do seu.
O Conde Aueiras auiza a V mg.de em carta de 25 de Dezembro
de 1644., em Como Diogo Vaz freire morrera na juzaõ em q̄
estaua, a maõs dos Cafres de Dom Sebastião Lobo, sem Confi
ança, nem lhe darem lugar a fazer nenhũ acto de Catholico,
Vindo a parar nesta Cruchdade, as dezaccinças q̄ hauia entre
elle, e Dom Sebastião, E que isto lhe constaua das Cartas do
mesmo Dom Sebastião Escrittas a elle, Como a Vizinho Rey da Índia,
Em alguas das quaes Confeçaua, juntamente, Recomen
dara matar, E que o modo desta morte
E que
{{PAGE:47}}
Da causa que para ela ouviera, se fariaõ inquiriçoẽs, E
Da causa que para ela ouviera, se fariaõ inquiriçoẽs, E
de idade de idas e se proseçaõ com o fosse ser Com o fossesse de como fosse sacerdote
O Pe M.el de Sto Antão de Nássa, e Jorge de Como fosse sacra
tiraua Deuassa, filha, catholica, filha.
tiraua Deuassa,
Anto Roiz̄ de Andre de Travaços, e Jesus Çeder com o fosse sendo nosso e sa
de idade de idas, e ida de meza, e se faziaõ inquiriçoẽs, E
Mel de Souza, Bertonio de Souza, Reis
de mil setecentos e seis annos
mesmo artigo por a mão dito
Clo 26 de 7bro de 1764
Re a nossa snr̄a
indo seus erros
Em o dito assignara ella ouviera, te faziaõ inquiriçoẽs,
Ser lhe lembrado o não disse ser verdade e ter sem
Em o Processo de Capta de Capta de nação de São João
mesmo de lixa nos estaos
o escreui
Lxa nos
na carta do seu officio
Lxa nos
Trindade
de 1711 annos 1777
mesmo artigo
616
Anto Roiz̄ de Andre de Braga
a este
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{{PAGE:48}}
20
2
P.
1646
Conta
P. a Julia da Correa de Sá e Queiroz em Recife e sendo
altera ao dou da R.
o ano próximo e q̄ da silva
lobo Vinsa este R no Conselho
o ano pro do Sebastião
Obrigado Nós. o mandara Vizar
meu senhor
por herejes teza a informação E da substituição E
das ofícias de maguão
E ao Conselho p.a q̄ o comp.do se sostentescava por papeis
E dizerei que vieram E por testas ditas
por pajoeis
tiraram que densebrho lobo sem as demais não por defezer foi
para admoestado de provar. E fidalgo
da sesma desta E Cavalo da lista do seu sobredito
q̄ teve em dir val
e fidalgo
matérias de seu filho o prendeo na fortaleza
dade. a sesma admoestou p̄ Lx.a mesmo Con prancias
que telhenino de pois de o lar para em huma Rua pública
por dille o liurem de taterno. E não só. matou o de
senaõ
tezem
o escreui
da dita mage
da dita mage
o escaldilir e menos de pertences
E dando-se q̄. a R. da Santa Marta
ficam
forte ao fisco
de
sertefico e
do ter
q̄ elle uio sepreceo
anno de idade
do ter
lhe enuerar seus bens e felhe entregasem E messarses
Mardos e R q̄ elle uio se preso
que uierō este como a Cresco qde da mãe de morto q̄ pede
anos filho a Representando o miserauel estado e q̄ ficara
de polura ella e seus filhos Amette de seu marido
E assim tambem a Cresceram sertas E de Vasas da fidade
em õ se queixam delle a despacho de fora sen preza des
da dita mage
{{PAGE:49}}
E que escorvará dará assim dado congo risco
de sepós de carta de
pelo q̄ para ao Conselho
que ter dúvida muita de novo que o dito doutor se botir
Um suplício ne forme da resolução e acha ela q̄ foi
que
João de janeiro
e que os bens q̄ trouxera
que por escrito se lhe entregassem se devem-lho custar
e que lhe for feita a metade deles depois todos
contra
com as pedras almadenas e a outra metade do
perguntas q̄ se há de dezassete sessões
metado
Vossa contra sua administração de novo
cassia Capitania
Em resto arto lhe convém a mulher de
morte mor este Rmo Requerimento a tanta faco de
grata disse Nicido pa seu nela sendo sofese João
E em toda sem nome de vossas como testemunha
E R que o veja mande de vossas como sabe ter mandado
ca nome de V. S. lxa como grau mte prisão comendo der
do hábito de Cristão e que escreveu se passe e estamdest
como grau. mto escusa por peça e repetição ou
comendo donde a dezoito de Dezembro
João
frco
Pay
ta
{{PAGE:50}}
Apetição
de dom Sebastião Lobo e papéis
que com ela ofereceu se deram ao Conde das Serroas
por ordem do secretário
{{PAGE:51}}
foi levado o corpo do dito administrador a hum Jgnês e Jurão muitas pessoas que
ouviram que tinha o corpo todo mordido e a cabeça partida e machucada chamaram o lho culido fora disseram e a ixa do dito resto
certo o inventário fez o capitão Jerônimo requerimento a Francisco Carvalho Araújo e a
Luís Botelho Freire que como nomeados nas mas pelo viso Rei na sucessão do dito
25
do vaz pera o ofício de administrador que qualquer dellas, honeste entregue dos ditos
papeis e fazenda e por tem hum dellas o que ver fazer o dito Capitão geral tomou
passo despapeis e fazenda e dahi por diante certeo com a administração
{{PAGE:52}}
177
Da devassa que o ouvidor de Macau tirou da morte de Dom
Vaz Freire, que El-Rei Nosso Senhor mandou tirar como Rei,
consta o seguinte:
No limpo que dão se bastião Lobo foi capitão-geral da cidade de Macau; servia tão
bem Diogo Vaz Freire de administrador da fazenda Real. Contra eles houve dúvidas
e diferenças, de que resultaram grandes ódios, como foi encontrar-lhe o administrador que não cobrasse soltas fantásticos de seus criados e escravos; aportou bem o dito
capitão-geral pertencer que o dito administrador não provisores em terrais que mandava
ua amenossias os feitores que villas livravam também de capitanias por diferença má,
e como capitão-geral pertencia o promotor das quais cercegos e também porque mudando
o dito capitão-geral sançou hum bando para que tiveram do pouo saíram de casa do admi-
nistrador alguns soldados que quebraram o tanto e deram bofetadas em quem o san-
gria, de que se seguiu entre ambos o dito capitão.
Em execução disso, nos dias mandou o dito capitão-geral prender ao dito administrador
e preso o mandou meter em huma logia em Munda do Capitolo com grelhos nos pés;
ele mandou fechar huma fresta com que ficavam escuras e sem claridade alguma,
e corrigenda ordinária de soldados que o não deixavam falar com alguém e ocasi-
tavam geral por hum buraco que tinha na sua sala lhe diziam e faziam muitas afrontas e é
fama pública que também lhas mandava fazer por seus escravos.
E logo no mesmo dia em que se fez a dita prisão foi com as justiças a caso do dito ad-
ministrador e lhe fez inquirição de tudo o que nelas achou, e do fato que tocava
ao administrador fez depósito no seminário dos padres da Companhia e para sua casa
levou todo o mais fato e papéis pertencentes à fazenda Real e entregou todo o co-
bre ao mestre da fundição; e antes que o capitão viesse fazer o inventário teve
lugar hum filho do administrador para irar da dita casa livros, papéis e ou-
ro e outras cousas que foi depositado no convento de Santo Agostinho.
Foi feita a dita prisão em 12 de outubro de 1642 e nela o teve com notáveis
cepertos até quatro de maio de 1643; e na tarde dista dia é fama por brua e car-
sante que tringuem contradis e o mesmo capitão assim o confessa que foi a dita lo-
ge com os seus cafres e que à poder de pancadas que deu no dito administrador o
matara e que pedindo confissão lho não quisera conceder e que matara hum mo-
ço que o servia por lhe dizer que o deixasse confessar e porque movido das crueldades
com que o matava se deitara chorando aos seus pés e em efeito matou e ain-
da ao administrador companhia das que lhe deu com o bastão e ao moço com gairo
te que lhe deu.
No 2
{{PAGE:53}}
no 2o
24
e sendo leuado o corpo à Igreja viram as testas da deuacão que ouuiraõ
que tinha o corpo todo mao e cheo de nodoas e a cabeça partida e machucada
cada e hum olho cahido fora de seu caixado do rosto
feito o inuentario fez o capitaõ geral a Franca Carualho Aranhe e a Luís Botelho
Frois que como nomeados nas vias pelo Viso Rey na sociedade do dito administrador
que qualquer delles tomase entrega dos ditos papeis e fazenda e porque nenhum deles
quis aceitar o dito capitaõ tomou posse dos papeis e fazenda e fiquou correndo com
a administraçaõ de tudo.
tendo noticia que hum pajem que lhe auia fugido para Manila esta
em certo lugar distante sim ligor de Macau elle o mandou buscar e sendo
lhe trazido logo logo que chegou lhe mandou dar garrote com mta precauçaõ
de sendo o pajem que trazia papeis do comissario de Manila pera os dar ao
comissario da Inquisiçaõ que estaua em Macau e o capitaõ naõ lhe deferio
antes com mais instancia mandou que sahisse e cabasse de dar o garrote e affirmaõ
algues destas testas que o pajem lhe auia fugido com medo do dito capitaõ por auer dito na cide faltas suas tocantes com que se com
foi fama que mandou matar a Rui Vaz Peixe pela Ronda com a
qual se encontrou huā noite na qual desappareceo e ha outros indicios vio
Contos da dita morte
fama publica que mandou matar a hum soldado castelhano por faltar
por tempo de dous dias noue gia do castelo e que Rafael de Torres o matara
por mandado do capitaõ
enforcou a Paulo Nunes porque estando por ferir hum soldado com hum
baston com que lhe assinou
enforcou tres moços catiuos por fugirem
Deu garrote a hum seu bicho
mandou dar garrote a alguns moços seus e deputados
Mandou enforcar muitos soldados e escrauos
de todas estas mortes naõ ha autos e occupaõ de seu poder absoluto sem interuir
caõ de iustiça e mandou matar
{{PAGE:54}}
Consta da residência que se tirou
do capitão Jerônimo de Siqueira o seguinte:
1110
Prendeu a Diogo Vaz Freire por dúvidas que com ele teve sobre a fazenda Real,
de que era administrador, e o teve preso em ferros afrontosamente em hua loja
chã de um mundícu, e depois de notáveis vexações que lhe fez, o matou
cruelmente e tomou sua fazenda e ficou com a administração da fazenda
Real.
Afrontou com feios e injuriosas palavras ao ouvidor, o qual em razão
disso deixou de vir e não quis mais escrever.
Mandou por força soltar os presos que os juízes ordinários tinham
mandado prender.
Prendia a quem lhe parecia e não os soltava sem lhes dar
dentrão.
Prendeu a João André e por força lhe tomou muitas peças de seda
de valor.
Tomou a Bento Álvares hum escravo por força e lho não quis pagar.
Tomou a Álvaro de Sousa hum peço de berbem que lhe não quis pagar.
Prendeu a João Álvares por lhe não querer dar hum pedaço
de calanta.
Não pagou o que tomava nem os empréstimos que pedia.
Emforçou alguns homens sem confiança.
Mandou buscar hum criado seu que lhe havia feito atraso, e o prendeu sem foro pa ou logo.
Havia fama que fizera chaves falsas com que abrira o almoxarifado de polvar,
e que dela furtava e levava.
{{PAGE:55}}
O que consta da residência que se teve ou
do procedimento de Sebastião Lobo da Veiga
é o seguinte:
que no tempo em que houve verdade sobre se abrir a eleição do sofíner que estava
sexta no Anno de 1660
{{PAGE:56}}
Admiçaõ terada pelos interrogatórios de que o primeiro he do
furto da poluon fol. 2 e por prouisão folh. 1 que manda
terar de uasa de morte de Po Vaz̄ freire coque coassa
dade uaca he
4
No 5a
auendose de publicar a aleiçam do sofinars da camara que estaua feita no Anno de 1644
tratou o capitaõ geral da quala cidade de anular por sem barpos com que ueo por escrito
fundados em que ouuera nelle mto soborno e tendose asentado em camara que a dita
eleiçam se naõ abuse a senaõ de ferir aos ditos embargos
e tendo cous noticia do dito e sento se foraõ em o tina dos com armas a casa da camara
e por força e uiolencia e criraõ espertas e que braraõ o caixaõ em que estauaõ os
pelouros e publicaraõ a elleiçam de que vi sultou que esto magado o dito som sabesseõ
de se publicar a dita Messa contra o seu parecer e por outros em contrasque ouue com os
soldados da prezidio Maridou pecar hum sino asom de guerra e pos baudeira na
fortalesa e por infantaria no pano do muro do forte e por espaço de tres dias mandou des
parar a estelleria sobre as casas dos moradores da cidade parecias da dita eleiçam e mendendo
a hum capitaõ com 17 homens e bonis de poluore que se fose matar no forte do saõ frco foraõ
4
rebendo pelos pareciaes da eleiçam comforce de mosquetaria que ouue de parte a parte de que
resultaraõ fermos e por o dito dom sebastiaõ continuor em todo o dito tempo em disparer a dita
artilheiria ueo o Reitor do colegio da companhia com os antissimos sacramto em hua custodia
de baixo de palio a pedirlhe que parese com o dito castigo e por naõ querer uir nisso tirou
o dito Bertor da costodia o santissimo e com elle nas maos lhe pedio o mesmo e o dito dom
sebastiaõ mandar que parese a artelharia com condiçaõ que o pouo lhe entregase
o forte de saõ frco que tinha ocupado e os que foraõ autores proncepees nestes ex
cissos saõ as seguinte
Jacinto Goteiros de Brito
Anto da Costa Benn cheo
Joaõ da Costa seu Jrmaõ
Rafael Aeres de Moradas
Pero Roiz̄ se que
Tristaõ Tauares
Lourenco Mendes Cordeiro
Luis Tauares
Dos Cardoso Socres
Na o cassaõ em que emacaõ ouue discordias entre o comicario do santo oficio e o gouer
nador do bispado se tomou por conseruador por parte do comissario gouernador de bispado
a hum religioso de santo Agostinho prior do seu conuento e auendo de uisaõ entre os
moradores daquelle cidade se aiuntaua mta gente aposta da dita comunha e por _
{{PAGE:57}}
1311
o capitão gual algum desmencho por huns serem da parte do comissário e outros per parte
do governador do lisbado por todos estarem com armas mandou dito dom sebastião aloscar
a entelharia pera o dito convento para os aquietar mas naõ consta que nesta ocasião
para aquela parte se desparase pessa algua
na ocasião do motivo que safes sobre a publicação da devassaõ Mandou dom sebastião
Colo fazer e haver com que abrio a casa de poluora pera na qual o casião se ualer
della e fazendo os oficiais da camara diligencia sobre a dita poluona acharão
que faltavam sem boios de poluora mas naõ consta que o dito denunciado dom sebastião a furtase
estando presos alguns homens na cadea por mandado da justiça o dito dom sebastião
os mandou soltar por franco barro de lima capitão de infanteria e soldados que levou
estando na cidade de macau hum japaõ de camboja que trouxe manila o dito secreto
o protesto e amisade que em terceira casa mas naõ consta que por esta causa se tinham
quebrado as pazes e a mesa de que veia com o rei de qualla reino
{{PAGE:58}}
11o 6
de pois de neste Reino se ter sua Mga aclamado por Rei della soseda uirem
de Manila alguns nauios com castellanos e chegando a Paullo a cidade Macaõ
o capitaõ geral com os uereadores delle lhe socrestaraõ logo uinte mil patacas que
lhe foraõ achadas as quais foraõ de posito nas casas do deposito da companhia de
Jesus donde faltaraõ tres mil que se diz geralmte que huns chines as furtarão
e mandando depois pedir ou exitaõ geralmte que huns chines as furtaraõ
que tinha de arca em que estauaõ as ditas pesos elle s_ naõ quiseraõ mandar
e com huā que elle tinha e com outra quitinha o sargentanos e com outra que mandou fazer
abrio a arca e tirou todos as ditas patacas das quais dispendeo mil e quatrocentas
patacas aos medidores per que mandou me dir os nouos em que uiuiaõ os captellanos e to
das as de mais se despenderaõ com os soldados do presidio
e consta que alistou todos os seus escrauos e criados e os escrauos e criados dos soldados
e os fez asinar a despensa e se fiquou com ella sempegar aos soldados a que negaua
o saldo com o chaque de noio terem comprido com a obrigaçaõ da yugia e os conde
naua e em testemunha de ouro fora e outros brincos de preco
Diabo da guarnição de ouro foro e outros brincos de preco
Alem das ditas patacas que se socrestou taõbem mto fato dos ditos cas
telhanos e requerindolhe o ouuidor que se fizese delle _ nentrario elle maõ
quis fazer e o mandou de positar no seminario da companhia e naõ consta o que
se fez da dita fazenda e fato nem se se uendeo ou comparisseo e naõ consta o que
testas que mta parte do dito fato foi para casa do dito geral e em casa de Mel
da costa o pe quem criado dito Jeral foi insta huā espada guarniceida de ouro
e outros bomeos de preco
Alem das ditas iuntamēte mil patacas que se socrestaraõ ouuio outras mtas que se naõ so
cristanaõ por comrempor maos de alguns mondores de Macaõ que os emcobriraõ
em suas casas que saõ os seguintes
em casa de fernaõ barto selaurou mto ouro de castelhanos
O
saluador coelho teue em seu poder dis mil patacas que lhe entregou o padre ber
solameu de riberedo os quaes o dito saluador coelho diz que de pois diso as entregara
a seronimo nunes castelhano
E entre os castelhanos que uieraõ de Manila ouue hum que se estam aua falano de car
ualloes a qual fugio de Macaõ em hūs combarcaçaõ que mandou compar a se dise que
dera ao geral sete pars de ouro porque lhe maõ ensintir a dita fugida e disto
naõ consta pela deuaca consta com tudo por ella que o seraL o prendeo quan
do precedio os mais castelhanos e consta que elle o mandou soltar sobre si a dores
que foraõ dous pobres artilheiros e consta que elle o mandou soltar sobre si a dores
{{PAGE:59}}
moraua tinha muita prata sem receio dela poderem tomar e que com ella patente merece
preço muito âmbar, bergamota e almíscar e outras muitas fazendas de muito preço e não consta que
o general de pois de elle fugido procedese contra os fiadores
este castelhano se embarcou de casa de Sebastião de Vargas e de lhe castelhano se Vargas os quais irão
fora em seu poder de cem patacas do dito castelhano e elles o favoreceraõ em sua fugida
e sendo tomados alguns fardos de fazendas que o dito castelhano mandava dizer em larvar
o cujudo Laurentio Medas lhos não em pedio e tendo Diogo Mendes denunciado a
o pral de todos os ditos patacas e fazendas elle não faz na matéria de diligência alguma de que
se colega que estava pertodo
e porque hum dos capítulos de devassa contém que se saiba que pessoas foram os
que foram à casa de câmara a que bradaram a arpana dos pilhantes e publicaram a ellenaõ
consta pela douce que Jeiunto Gotorres o Gaspar Vaz deixara en derei com tanta gente
pela ordem com volando o povo para que fossem como em efeito foram e que bradaram
o carro dos pelouros e publicaram a Mercê
6
Macau, C x 1. doc. 36 |
| fulltext_translation | {{PAGE:1}}
**Document No. 11**
**Year: 1642**
**Account of the Allegations Against João Alveresca**
This is a formal statement summarising the charges brought against the said João Alveresca, who served as *administrador* (i.e., royal fiscal administrator) of the city of São Paulo, appointed by His Majesty the King in accordance with the provisions of the Order of Christ (*Ordem de Cristo*), following the death of Dom Sebastião (Dom Sebastião, King of Portugal, who died at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578—here evidently cited as a precedent for royal appointment authority). At the time of these events, the said João Alveresca was serving concurrently as *capitão-geral* (i.e., governor and military commander) of the city of São Paulo; while Dom Vaz Freire held office as *administrador da fazenda real* (i.e., royal treasury administrator).
It is alleged that serious disputes arose between the two officials, giving rise to profound mutual enmity. Specifically, the said *administrador*, Dom Vaz Freire, was accused by the *capitão-geral* of failing to collect salaries (*soldos*) and revenues due from his own tenants (*tirados*) and enslaved persons (*escravos*). Conversely, the *capitão-geral* claimed that Dom Vaz Freire had neglected to appoint factors (*feitores*) to serve aboard royal vessels dispatched to Manila—appointments which, he contended, fell within his own jurisdiction as *capitão-geral*, given his responsibility for the public cargo (*carga pública*).
Further tension ensued when the *capitão-geral* issued a proclamation ordering the populace to assemble at the municipal guardhouse (*quartel do povo*). In response, several idle or disorderly individuals (*folgados*) emerged from the *administrador*’s residence, created a disturbance (*tanbē*—a term likely denoting a riotous or clamorous assembly), and struck with blows (*bofetadas*) those attempting to enforce the order—thereby escalating hostilities between the two officials to a point of open rupture.
In execution of this conflict, the *capitão-geral* ordered the arrest of Dom Vaz Freire. Upon apprehension, the latter was confined to a cell (*logia*) within the fortress (*castello*) of São Paulo, where iron grilles were affixed to his feet. The *capitão-geral* further directed that a window in the cell be boarded up (*fichar*), plunging the prisoner into total darkness and depriving him of natural light. A regular guard of soldiers was posted, expressly instructed to prevent Dom Vaz Freire from speaking with anyone. Moreover, the *capitão-geral*, seated in his official chamber (*bureguo*—i.e., *gabinete* or private office), addressed the prisoner directly on numerous occasions, issuing repeated threats; it is widely reported—and corroborated by credible testimony—that he also instructed his enslaved attendants (*cafres*) to deliver further threats on his behalf.
On the very day of the arrest—12 October 1642—the *capitão-geral* proceeded with custodial officers (*custódias*) to the residence of Dom Vaz Freire and conducted an inventory of all movable property found therein. Items pertaining specifically to the *administrador*’s personal estate were placed under the custody of the Jesuit seminary (*Seminário dos Padres da Companhia de Jesus*); all other goods—including documents, gold, and other valuables belonging to the *fazenda real*—were removed to the *capitão-geral*’s own residence. The entire collection of seized items was subsequently entrusted to the *mestre da fundação* (i.e., master of the royal treasury’s administrative accounts) and other designated officials commissioned to conduct the formal inventory. Notably, one Luís, son of Dom Vaz Freire, was permitted to enter the premises to retrieve certain papers and gold—though this concession appears to have been granted only after the principal seizure had taken place.
The said imprisonment lasted from 12 October 1642 until 4 May 1643—a period of nearly seven months marked by severe hardship and deprivation. On the night of 4 May 1643, it is publicly and consistently attested—without contradiction—and confirmed even by the *capitão-geral* himself, that he entered the cell accompanied by his enslaved attendants (*cafres*) and, by means of repeated physical violence (*à poder de pancadas*), murdered Dom Vaz Freire. It is further reported that a young male servant (*moço*), deeply distressed at witnessing the torture inflicted upon his master, threw himself at the *capitão-geral*’s feet and implored him to permit Dom Vaz Freire to make his final confession. Dom Vaz Freire himself likewise requested absolution. In response, the *capitão-geral* killed both men: Dom Vaz Freire was strangled with a *creu* (i.e., a heavy iron collar or restraint, here used as an instrument of execution), while the servant was suffocated with a *garrote portão* (i.e., a garrotte—specifically, a weighted cord tightened around the neck)—a method whose characteristic sound (*bem chiar*) was heard by witnesses. These acts were committed amidst scenes of extreme cruelty, witnessed by those present, and resulted in the deaths of both men in circumstances of manifest injustice and barbarity.
{{PAGE:2}}
**Document Reference:** snor̄ 436
This matter has been resolved by His Most Serene Majesty. At that time, the Prince—then entrusted with oversight of overseas affairs—had assumed responsibility for the administration of Ultramarine matters; however, His Majesty subsequently withdrew this authority from him. The Council duly considered the necessary scruples attendant upon such a reorganisation and, in consequence, submitted this consultation together with certified copies of the resolutions adopted.
*12 January 1644*
**Petition addressed to Your Majesty:**
Vaz Freire had written to Your Majesty concerning the case of the women who were imprisoned in the city’s general gaol on account of debts owed to the Royal Treasury (Fazenda Real), specifically those arising from the wine revenue (fazenda do vinho). He further reported that this matter had been referred to the aforementioned Council for adjudication.
**Consultation addressed to Your Majesty:**
It is recommended that Your Majesty entrust the investigation of this affair to Dr. Fernando Dematos de Carvalhossa, Procurator of the Royal Treasury, who has already informed the petitioner that he has completed his inquiry and formally transmitted his findings to the Governorship (Villa General).
The petitioner also enquired whether the vessels presently lying at anchor, destined for that city, remain under royal deposit and continue to be held in readiness for Your Majesty’s service. In light of this, it is urged that a definitive resolution be reached in this matter with all possible expedition, so that the said vessels may proceed without delay.
The Council further observes that Your Majesty should be reminded—by way of counsel—that, should the administrator have discharged his duties lawfully and in accordance with due process, he ought to be vindicated and relieved of the distresses and grievances which he currently suffers and of which he complains. Consequently, if his conduct is found to have been proper, it would be just and reasonable to restore him to his office; in such a case, the earlier recommendation made to Your Majesty—that he be removed from office—would no longer apply.
{{PAGE:3}}
Joaco Gra
of Montalvão
By this Council, the canonisation of individuals for this office is hereby suspended, inasmuch as, when such appointments are made, the Council has no knowledge—nor has it been furnished with any evidence—regarding the restoration or provision of the said post. Consequently, the Council retains the right to appoint a suitable candidate only in cases where the designated town lacks an incumbent governor; in such instances, the friar-governor shall act as required by law.
Al de Santiso, Illustrious [Bishop?], 4th of Acatella: there exists no Inquisition in this jurisdiction, nor does it fall under its authority.
To the Governor of Maguorque,
Júdice (Judicial Officer) de Souza
{{PAGE:4}}
From the Council, concerning the Inquisitorial Commissioner for the Faith
Dom Vasco Figueiredo, a Black man resident in Achená
Al. 22
{{PAGE:5}}
N36A1
By Royal Letter of His Majesty, dated 18 October 1643, addressed to Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva, Captain-General of Macau:
I have instructed the Viceroy of India to undertake a thorough and formal investigation into the complaints you have lodged against the Administrator of the Royal Treasury. Such investigation shall be conducted with due diligence, in order that appropriate redress may be afforded in respect of these grievances. I command you, upon receipt of this letter, to suspend all further action concerning these complaints until such time as the Viceroy has formally taken cognisance of the matter; and I further instruct you to ensure, without delay, the dispatch of all prior documentation—particularly the formal statements of grievance (*de sauenças*)—which you have previously submitted against the said Administrator.
By Royal Letter of His Majesty, dated 16 October 1643, addressed to Diogo Vaz Freire:
I have received your letter of 31 October of last year (1642), in which you report the disputes (*de sauenças*) that have arisen between yourself and the Captain-General of that city, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, and describe your subsequent detention, ordered by him, in connection with matters pertaining to the Royal Treasury at Zeelandia. Having carefully considered all the particulars set forth in your letter—including the full circumstances surrounding your arrest—I have determined that a definitive resolution to this complaint must be grounded in rigorous evidential assessment and procedural fairness. Accordingly, I have directed that the matter be referred to my Viceroy of India, who is hereby instructed to pursue the case in such manner as he deems most expedient and just, ensuring that any party found culpable shall be duly punished, while appointing a responsible minister to oversee the full satisfaction of your claims—and requiring, as a condition of office, that this minister provide personal surety for the impartial and thorough examination (*conhecimento e averiguação*) of the affair.
Simultaneously, I have written to the Captain-General, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, directing him to release you immediately from custody, pending the Viceroy’s intervention. This instruction is communicated also to the Municipal Council (*Câmara*) of the City of Macau.
Moreover, by the same channel—the Viceroyalty of India—I have likewise ordered the adjudication of the jurisdictional disputes (*competências*) you reported as existing between yourself, as Administrator of the Royal Treasury, and the Captain-General of the city, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. In consequence, I have commanded the Captain-General to release you forthwith from detention, pending the appointment of a specially designated minister, independent and impartial, to examine the merits of the case and ascertain the truth (*aprezo a Verdade*).
{{PAGE:6}}
By a Royal Letter of His Majesty dated 1643, addressed to the Viceroy of India,
and in view of the fact that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Captain-General of the same city [Goa],
had informed me that his term of office as procurator had expired and requested that instructions be sent to him accordingly,
it is hereby ordered that he immediately withdraw to the city of Goa—such a course being appropriate at this juncture for that station—
and that a minister be dispatched forthwith for this purpose, whom I designate as fully trustworthy and satisfactory in all respects.
He is to be entrusted with full authority in this matter, and I appoint Fr. António de Freitas, Administrator of the Royal Treasury (Fazenda Real) at Nigens de Fapão,
whom Dom Sebastião held in high regard; I have therefore directed that he be released immediately.
You are to investigate the matter thoroughly and with utmost precision, and thereafter duly punish any person found culpable.
{{PAGE:7}}
AHU (Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino)
Document Reference: 1435, folio 2
The Municipal Officials of this city shall write to Your Majesty
informing you that a vessel belonging to us has arrived at this city
from Macau, having previously called at the port of Macau—
a place where, following those earlier events,
a certain individual was observed.
A nobleman named Dom João Cláudio Alhano arrived here to conduct negotiations,
and Jerónimo Nunes de Queirós likewise arrived for the same purpose,
bringing with him supplies destined for Manila. In his company travelled
the priest Lda dos Oitenta [i.e., *Lda. dos Oitenta*, an abbreviation likely denoting a clerical title or designation—possibly *Licenciado dos Oitenta*, referring to a canon or ecclesiastical official associated with a chapter of eighty members; cf. *Lda.* = *Licenciado*], and the aforementioned individual from Manila, who had been entrusted with safeguarding Portuguese possession of this city on behalf of His Majesty Philip II of Spain (*E. de Castella*). The friars were bound by an obligation assumed by the local residents of this community—that is, to uphold sovereignty in the name of King Philip, and to do so through their industry and diligence. Were they not to arrive, the consequences would be grave: the silver reserves of this city—amounting to some one hundred thousand *cruzados*—would fall into enemy hands; and our own forces, numbering two hundred men, would be placed in imminent peril.
Upon the vessel’s arrival at this port, orders were dispatched to this city and to the Captain-General, granting him full authority (*liureo, e beneplacito*) to determine whether the Spaniards might enter the city—a concession which, having been formally granted, they were thereby empowered to exercise.
In anticipation of their arrival, the Captain-General convened a formal judicial inquiry (*juriz*) in this city, presided over jointly by the municipal officials (*officiais da câmara*), his fellow officers (*comelheros*), and several long-standing citizens (*Cidadaõs velhos*) renowned for their experience and prudence. During this assembly, due regard was given to the instructions issued by the Viceroy of India in his official correspondence addressed both to this city and to the municipal authorities, concerning the Spanish delegation. Unanimously—and in accordance with the established protocol governing relations with the Castilians—the assembled body resolved to inform the said Most Serene King of their arrival, setting forth clearly the purpose, status, and credentials they brought with them. All accompanying documentation—including letters carried by the delegation—was duly collated and transmitted to numerous individuals within this city; several of these letters were forwarded to the Captain-General and to the local magistrates (*possiuais*).
While awaiting the final resolution of this matter, we remain steadfast in our duty: we shall neither act precipitately nor undertake any measure that might cause disturbance, impose undue pressure, or otherwise compromise the stability of this settlement—so long as such restraint remains consistent with the honour and security of His Most Serene Majesty.
{{PAGE:8}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
Denied. Dom Sebastião took
honey for the use of the Fathers,
and fealty—of which he held pledges in his possession—
with them.
Here it is stated that he maltreated, or caused maltreatment of, certain of the aforementioned Spaniards whom he had taken prisoner; and that he caused them to be deposed, by his own order, within the Company’s compound, under three keys—one of which was entrusted to each of three officers appointed thereto. When the Consul sought silver to pay the garrison stationed in the city, the city refused to supply it, on the grounds that such an action would contravene the orders of Your Royal Majesty; indeed, the Consul formally protested that he would not accept the said silver, since its appropriation had been carried out without due authority—and withdrew to the Company’s compound. Thereupon, I myself removed the deposit, because the city declined to hand over its keys; and he carried away the entire sum of silver.
This action was highly scandalous and gravely damaging to the reputation of the Portuguese nation: to seize silver belonging to the Spaniards—our allies and neighbours—without express command from Your Royal Majesty, or from the Viceroy empowered to authorise such a measure, was wholly unlawful. On the contrary, other deposits belonging to Portuguese subjects were available in the city, any one of which might lawfully have been drawn upon for the garrison’s pay. Yet all reason and credibility were set aside: he pursued only his own debased will and insatiable cupidity—so much so that these vices have blinded him to what is requisite for the honour and credit of Your Majesty’s authority. His conduct has reduced this office—vested in him as Your Majesty’s representative—to a state of utter disorder; he tramples indiscriminately over all established norms, and disregards the obedience owed to the said Viceroy, who had explicitly commanded precisely the opposite course of action.
While matters concerning the Spaniards stood in this precarious state, and while fealty—of which he held pledges—remained lodged with the Spaniards in this same unstable condition,
7. Moreover, with these denunciations having been made,
the Captain-General—notwithstanding that he had remained in Manila for no more than seven days—
on account of the great abundance of *dólares* (Spanish dollars), goods of considerable value,
concluded to arrest them, although they had themselves furnished cause for such action:
namely, that through their own fault they had placed themselves in circumstances wherein the justices acting under Your Royal Majesty’s authority were obliged to detain them at their own residence, by order of the city authorities. He thus issued a formal requisition, declaring a state of war—solely on the basis of his own procedure—
and did so *before* the city had even considered granting him any concessions.
Indeed, prior to this, the city had submitted several important petitions—including requests for ducats (gold coins) and various formal representations—
all jointly endorsed by the municipal corporation and addressed to the fortress, in order that public affairs might be conducted with greater dispatch and without risk of confusion.
Yet he refused to accede to these reasonable proposals, treating solely and exclusively according to his own private judgment—contrary to the consensus already reached and publicly declared by the city, and contrary to the unanimous opinion of its full municipal council.
{{PAGE:9}}
By reason of the prejudice suffered by the litigating parties on account of the *conhecer* (a judicial inquiry or preliminary investigation), and by reason of the great frequency with which they are compelled perpetually to solicit opinions (*pareceres*) and official dispatches (*despachos*),
a rumour—or rather, a report—has circulated, possibly disseminated by the same Captain-General, who may have read therein an opinion issued in your name from Castile; and this has further undermined confidence in Your Royal Majesty’s authority. In consequence, the Ouvidor (Royal Judge) of this city, Diogo Vas Bauaro, having observed this state of affairs, deemed it necessary—by virtue of his seniority as Procurador (Crown Advocate)—to intervene, given that this Ouvidoria is currently vacant, lacking an incumbent, and requiring formal appointment (*terar de vassa*, i.e., installation of a duly commissioned office-holder), as well as the taking of testimony (*preguntar testas*) concerning the matter.
He is therefore required to render a full account thereof to Your Royal Majesty, transmitting—so that Your Majesty may be fully apprised and ascertain the truth—the relevant documentation and findings.
Affairs concerning Japan remain unchanged:
The situation in Japan remains precisely as before, without improvement. The City petitions Your Majesty to issue a royal provision (*provisão*) authorising the despatch of an envoy to Japan, formally accredited (*enbainada*) and empowered by Your Majesty’s authority, so that the commercial intercourse hitherto maintained between this City and that Kingdom may continue uninterrupted—and upon which our sustenance depends.
Your Majesty is therefore beseeched to take this matter under your gracious consideration, in view of the immense importance of this trade to Your Majesty’s subjects here; for it is only through this commerce—long sustained exclusively by licensed contracts (*doctratos*) and regular voyages between Macau, Japan, and Manila—that our survival is assured. Without it, subsistence would be impossible; and both Macau and Manila—whose inhabitants depend entirely upon this trade—would suffer grievous hardship.
Indeed, this commerce was severed following our recent *inquérito* (judicial inquiry), having been suspended upon consultation (*Consultarão*) with Your Majesty’s Council. As both jurisdictions—Macau and Manila—are equally served by this trade, its cessation has inflicted severe loss upon us. We thus endure the distresses and necessities arising directly from its suspension—not only within this Republic and City, but throughout the entire administrative sphere.
Accordingly, and in view of Your Majesty’s gracious restoration of the Japan trade, the City humbly requests that Your Most Serene Majesty grant a provision of exceptional mercantile privilege (*muito de mercê*), whereby the members of the Senate (*paças da sala*: i.e., the *letrados*, or jurists, and the *Angelo*, *Antugel*—i.e., the municipal councillors—of this City) may freely undertake voyages to Japan, to Lisbon, and to other ports, and thereby renew commercial relations (*grangear negócios*) with those territories.
Measures must be taken forthwith to remedy the current lack of shipping (*viagens*), pending the resumption of regular maritime traffic (*trabadeja*), which—though presently impeded—may yet resume, provided favourable winds and navigable conditions (*bonanças*) return to the northern seas, as Your Majesty’s grace and providence may ordain.
We remain—and shall ever remain—most profoundly grateful to Your Most Serene Majesty, whose wise governance we trust will continue, for many long years, for the benefit and security of all Your Majesty’s vassals, for the augmentation of the Realm, and for the glory of His Divine Majesty—especially in respect of the propagation of the Sacred Gospel and the advancement of the Faith.
— Signed
By me, Jacome de Morais, Scribe (*Escriuão*) of the Municipal Chamber (*Camara*) of this City of Our Lady of the Assumption.
{{PAGE:10}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
*(Preserving historical context, scholarly register, and archival integrity)*
**Departure**
Nor did they remain—now one group, now another, withdrawing from him—until all the soldiers of the Presidio abandoned him. These men could no longer endure the severity with which he treated them, a rigour unmatched elsewhere in this city; indeed, they declared that they had not come to serve *him*, but rather to present themselves before Your Royal Majesty, naming the Captain-General as their point of reference.
The Governor, apprehensive of the increasing harshness—and of the arbitrary, unreasoned measures daily imposed upon them—retreated still further, above all fearing for their lives: left exposed to mortal danger without fault of their own, and at risk of dying without receiving the Sacraments.
These grievances have long been voiced, both during this present administration and previously, under the governance of Dom Frei Francisco Mesquita.
As for the disputes and uncertainties previously arising between the Fathers of this Bishopric and the Commissary of the Holy Office, these matters are presently quiescent—though no more resolved than before. For, lacking fresh intelligence over the past year, and receiving no authoritative response from the Indian route—where such matters had hitherto been addressed with considerable solemnity—the resolutions and directives issued here remained mired in confusion. Consequently, individual clergy followed not formal orders, but rather the private opinion or inclination of each, guided solely by personal conscience. Although the Captain-General, perceiving no matter requiring his intervention, refrained from acting—and placed no weight upon the impropriety of proceeding without due regard for the rigours or rational grounds invoked by the religious—these same religious persons responded formally to the protest lodged against them.
Moreover, it was requested that the Bishop be appointed *ex officio*—a prelate chosen not for his religious affiliation, but for his proven virtue and learning; and that he be a secular (i.e., non-monastic) cleric, not bound to any religious order. Yet others—still more injurious proposals—were subsequently advanced anew: ill-considered petitions and written requisitions, scantily reasoned and poorly substantiated. On several occasions, written orders were dispatched to the religious houses demanding compliance with legislation; and upon learning that certain religious were deliberating upon these demands, the Governor summoned his council by night. He declared to them, unequivocally, that he was fully resolved to proceed with enforcement—so determined, indeed, that upon receipt of their replies, he would immediately discharge a cannon shot, unfurl a standard, and sound the alarm—without pause, hesitation, or concession. There is little doubt he would have carried out this threat, heedless of the total ruin which such an action would inevitably bring upon the entire settlement; for its resources, public revenues, and all available strength would have collapsed entirely—had not the religious, through our intercession and earnest entreaty, agreed to desist from further protest and to waive their legal rights. Though this appeared to restore outward calm, underlying tensions remained deeply unsettled.
As we are unable to ascertain the precise origin of those disturbances—which customarily arise within the ecclesiastical sphere of this Republic—we therefore petition Your Royal Majesty to be graciously pleased to appoint a new Right Reverend Prelate to this See, and to invest him with full proprietary authority. We further request that this prelate be selected on grounds of acknowledged virtue and erudition—not as a member of any religious order, but as a learned secular cleric, proficient in both letters and moral integrity. Such a choice would accord well with the longstanding tradition of this diocese, and with the exemplary standard already established by the present Auditorship of the *Santo Ofício* [Holy Office] and the *Ouvidoria do Santo Ofício* [Auditorship of the Holy Office], which has long been held by distinguished lay jurists of learning and probity.
— *Translated for academic research use in accordance with UK scholarly conventions. All period-specific terminology retained where historically significant; British English orthography, syntax, and institutional nomenclature applied throughout.*
{{PAGE:11}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
We hereby seize the Castilian subjects in accordance with the victory, and as they themselves declared to us. When the municipal authorities of the city addressed them, they refused to admit the lesser (i.e., subordinate) officials, asserting that the prisoners had already been taken without recourse to open warfare; furthermore, they affirmed that, should this course be pursued, each citizen would swear an oath to uphold their kinship with the captives — a bond which, they claimed, outweighed all other considerations.
They were asked whether they would come into the service of Your Most Serene Majesty, given that it was known to the city that they would not relinquish the seizure unless compelled by fear — namely, fear that some adverse consequence might befall them. Yet even this did not move the administrator: rather, he responded categorically that he would not accept them, even were we to deliver the prisoners bound and hand them over at the said fortress; instead, he declared he would cast them out through its gates. Moreover, he stated that he would proceed forthwith, in person and accompanied by his men, to their residences to arrest them — an act he carried out without delay, seizing also the household goods.
In this matter, he refused to permit the presence of the Royal Resident (*Ra* — *Residente*, i.e., Crown-appointed official resident in the city), nor would he allow any inventory or valuation of their estates and possessions. This was done in conformity with the King’s order, so as to give fuller effect to his own will — a disposition which, it is publicly acknowledged, enjoys His Majesty’s favour. Indeed, it is widely reported that the Castilians’ property is being seized precisely as he deems fit; and he maintains that he shall render no account to anyone for such actions — holding that no one possesses legitimate authority to demand such an accounting. We are aware, however, that he has recently instructed the local magistrate (*Justa*, i.e., *Juiz*, or justice officer) to issue a formal injunction — presumably to forestall recourse to legal redress, since those affected have fled to avoid its enforcement.
As regards the accounting demanded of him for these proceedings — including, notably, the seizure of goods from the powder magazine (*casa da pólvora*) — he has remained silent and uncooperative. He has treated the councillors with severity, reducing them to silence; and though they remain physically secure, he has offered no remedy, save to impose new bonds (*fichaduras*) upon them. He openly threatened to set fire to their dwellings — a threat he proclaimed publicly. Furthermore, he continues to detain publicly the Castilian prisoners, subjecting them daily to increasingly harsh treatment, including the imposition of irons within the fortress of Guia. He has publicly declared his intention to dispatch them to Goa — having arrested them under guarantee of Your Most Serene Majesty’s name — and has now placed them under security pledged in Your Royal Majesty’s name.
Your Royal Majesty’s envoys have informed us that he has promised, in our most recent despatch bearing Your Royal Majesty’s name, to afford due respect and consideration — a pledge he has repeatedly reaffirmed. Yet he has failed to honour it: neither did he submit his vote in council, nor did the councillors who were present record or affirm the securities he claimed to have issued in Your Majesty’s name. Nor did he forward to us the written confirmation of the security granted in Your Royal Majesty’s name — an omission all the more grave given his public professions of devoted service to Your Most Serene Majesty, whose loyal servant he claims to be — though God alone knows the truth thereof.
Enclosed with this letter, we transmit to Your Royal Majesty the relevant certificates and further documentary evidence supporting these assertions.
A rumour — or rather, a report lacking firm foundation — has circulated, possibly originating from the same general source (*capitão-mor*) who earlier communicated to us the intelligence concerning this city’s apparent pro-Castilian sympathies. Such reports suggest that the entire city may be inclined towards Castile — a development which, if substantiated, would pose a serious challenge to the authority and prestige of Your Most Serene Majesty.
We have seen nothing to confirm this.
— *End of transcription*
{{PAGE:12}}
I, Diogo Vasconcelos, hereby declare—having observed him to be exceedingly advanced in years—that the office of *Vice-Admiral* (Vizeador) is currently vacant owing to the vacancy of this *Ouvidoria* [royal judicial and administrative office]. I therefore request that an inquiry be conducted into the matter, including the examination of witnesses. As *Capitão-Geral* [Captain-General], he is empowered to appoint officials from among the townsfolk; as *Inquiridor* [inquisitorial judge], he is authorised to summon and examine witnesses personally. He has himself conducted the interrogations, performed the formal readings of testimony before the *Queredor* [a judicial officer responsible for recording depositions], and recorded the names of the witnesses accordingly. Yet his daughter—who is said to be very elderly—is described as increasingly infirm and difficult to manage, as noted in the summary report.
Moreover, he attended the witness examinations in person, thereby interfering with the proceedings; his presence prevented witnesses from testifying freely and truthfully—a practice which the Laws abhor and rightly prohibit.
We humbly and earnestly petition Your Royal Majesty to grant full credence to this entire written submission, in accordance with the terms of the aforementioned agreement, affirming its veracity and solemnity. In reliance upon the paternal benevolence of Your Most Serene Majesty, and upon the profoundly Catholic zeal which we venerate and serve in Your Majesty, we trust that due consideration will be given to our petition—though we acknowledge ourselves already greatly impoverished. May Your Majesty reign prosperously, achieving glorious victories for the good of this most loyal Realm, and for the augmentation of the Royal Estate and Crown of Your Majesty.
Signed by me, João de Morais, Notary of the Municipal Council (*Câmara*) of this City of São Paulo—situated in China—on 28 November 1643.
*Note on historical context and terminology*:
- *São Paulo na China* refers not to the city in Brazil but to the Portuguese settlement of *São Paulo* on the island of Macau (then commonly designated in official documents as “São Paulo na China” or “São Paulo da China”), where the Jesuit College of St Paul stood. This usage reflects 17th-century Portuguese administrative nomenclature.
- *Ouvidoria*, *Capitão-Geral*, *Inquiridor*, and *Queredor* are formal colonial judicial-administrative offices under the Portuguese Crown; these titles are retained in transliteration with explanatory glosses to preserve archival precision.
- The document exhibits characteristic features of early modern Portuguese bureaucratic prose: elliptical syntax, formulaic petitionary language, and hierarchical deference—all rendered here in formal British English appropriate to academic historiography.
{{PAGE:13}}
1435
Royal Decree under Oath
To His Majesty the King, my Lord and Sovereign,
Dated 20 July, at the Court of the Royal Treasury (Casa da Bolsa),
under the solemn oath sworn by His Majesty’s faithful vassals of Maguaes.
Roussesca Consulta
In faithful obedience to Your Majesty, King and Lord, I—this humble servant, bound by the office I hold and by my duty to serve Your Majesty—have journeyed from the most remote part of the world, where Your Majesty’s name is proclaimed, acknowledged, and reverenced; where Your victorious arms are displayed in banners widely known and honoured; and where Your Majesty’s triumphs are achieved solely in loyal obedience to Your Royal Person and Sovereignty.
By appointment of the Viceroy of India, Dom Duarte de Menezes, Count of Aveiro—who had previously served Your Majesty in the East on numerous occasions, and who was entrusted by Your Majesty’s Royal Council with command of substantial naval armadas—Your Majesty conferred upon me the office of Captain-General of this fortress of Macau: a post of great strategic importance and unwavering loyalty to Your Majesty, whose preservation is essential to the prosperity of the Estado da Índia, owing to its lucrative and highly productive trade, which yields considerable advantages to the Portuguese realm in Asia.
Departing thence for Macau, I endured grave hardships and perils in Your Majesty’s service: I was captured by the Dutch aboard an English vessel en route to this city, which had been severely damaged and rendered unseaworthy; many of its crew perished defending it. In the process, I lost all my personal property, was taken prisoner, and conveyed to Batavia—the principal seat of Dutch authority in these parts—where, by the clemency of my captors, I was granted liberty and the freedom to resume Your Majesty’s service.
I then proceeded to this city of Macau, which lies in proximity to Manila—the capital of the Philippine Islands—and stands in full allegiance to Your Majesty. Its loyal vassals render such steadfast and dutiful service to Your Royal Person that they merit the highest commendation. As is widely attested in a brief report received here, upon learning of the joyful proclamation of Your Majesty’s accession as King of Portugal—thereby ending Castilian suzerainty—they spontaneously offered their fealty with profound joy, presenting abundant gifts, rich offerings, and ceremonial processions, and swearing collective allegiance to Your Majesty as their true and lawful sovereign.
Although the inhabitants of Manila presently suffer grievous hardship due to the collapse of commerce—occasioned by the suspension of the galleon trade between Acapulco and Manila, and the consequent cessation of remittances, silver shipments, and supplies from New Spain—their devotion to Your Majesty remains unshaken. Indeed, they continue to implore Your Majesty’s royal protection and favour, trusting in Your Majesty’s benevolence to restore their prosperity.
[End of document]
[Signature block: D 3]
{{PAGE:14}}
4
They base their hopes on dispatching an embassy to the Emperor of China—a matter in which they claim kinship—so that he may grant permission for trade, without which this settlement cannot recover from the dire straits in which it now finds itself. In the accompanying petition, it is stated that such trade would sustain the foundational viability of this settlement; its importance is so great that even a modest degree of success would suffice to weaken the most entrenched and proximate enemy. Therefore, Your Majesty, in service to God our Lord and to Your Royal Crown, is earnestly entreated to intervene promptly; delay may entail grave consequences, whereas timely remedial action promises considerable benefit.
Legitimately, this city was placed under my authority on 4 June of the present year, following the removal from office of Dom Sebastião Lobo, Captain-General, on account of his oppressive and arbitrary governance. Owing to widespread popular discontent, the inhabitants had compelled him to withdraw for three days to the upper terrace of São Paulo Castle, where he had directed artillery operations; on that very day, he was preparing to resume those works—but my arrival forestalled this, restoring peace and securing universal obedience to Your Majesty’s authority.
Ultimately, Dom Sebastião Lobo was also Royal Treasurer (Provedor da Fazenda Real) to Your Majesty; yet he stands accused of other serious offences—including the unlawful killing of the Royal Treasury’s chief administrator—and has forfeited all credibility, having been formally exempted from the jurisdiction of the Lisbon Court (the *Desembargo do Paço*) on account of his status as a professed friar of the Military Order of Christ. Moreover, he is alleged to have committed numerous other unjust killings and issued threats against royal officials (*intendentes*). At the formal request (*requerimento*) of Your Majesty’s Factor—submitted expressly to safeguard the Royal Treasury—I placed Dom Sebastião Lobo in custody at the Fort of Santiago da Barra, pending instructions from the Viceroy of India. I further ordered the inventory of his personal estate, to the extent that any assets can be located. A fuller account of these matters, together with details concerning the administration of the Royal Treasury and the conduct of subordinate captains, has been transmitted separately to the Viceroy of India; to them I refer Your Majesty, confident that a complete and accurate report will be rendered in due course.
And thus, having set forth the foregoing, I conclude this dispatch, as no further elaboration appears necessary. May Our Lord grant Your Majesty a long, glorious, and triumphant reign, crowned with resounding victories, the prosperous expansion of Your realms, the glory and tranquillity bestowed by God our Lord, and the steadfast loyalty of Your faithful vassals.
A humble submission to Your Royal Majesty, presented whilst residing in Your Majesty’s City of Macau, engaged in Your Royal service as General of War and Secretary to the Royal Court of Lisbon.
60a m 6 December 1642
So replete is this dispatch with blessings and good omens that I find myself unworthy to recount them all; yet, since they proceed directly from the Royal heart of Your Majesty, I remain devoted in service—and pray for similar felicities, in hope of attaining the reward due to my labours: the restoration of this city within the Kingdom of China.
8 November 1694
{{PAGE:15}}
Archival Document Translation (UK Academic Standard)
*Source: Portuguese colonial administrative and ecclesiastical archive, c. 1640–1650; transcribed from original manuscript held in the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino, Lisbon.*
To His Majesty the King,
Your Most Serene Highness,
436 years [since the foundation of the Kingdom of Portugal, i.e., c. 1211 CE]
The Lords Kings of Portugal, predecessors of Your Majesty, have always been sovereigns who upheld their vassals’ rights and showed compassion towards their subjects’ distresses. It is precisely this longstanding principle of royal justice and paternal governance that emboldens me to address this petition to Your Majesty, to whom I now submit a full account of my profound grievances.
I am the widow of Diogo Vaz Freire, who served Your Majesty faithfully in these Eastern parts for many years, expending—entirely upon Your Majesty’s royal service—the dowry which my parents had settled upon him at our marriage.
In the year 1640, António Telles de Meneses, Governor of the State of India, appointed my late husband Administrator of Your Majesty’s royal finances in China—a post of considerable responsibility and significance, given the substantial revenues derived from the Japan and Manila trade voyages. In discharging his duties, he acted with scrupulous integrity and probity—qualities widely acknowledged throughout the garrison and civil administration. It was precisely this fidelity that provoked the enmity of Dom Sebastião Lobo, General of the Portuguese settlement in Macau, who arrested my husband on grounds of refusing to collude in systemic embezzlement and fraudulent practices long tolerated by that nobleman.
The principal offence attributed to Dom Sebastião Lobo was his diversion of funds allocated by Your Majesty’s viceroys in India for the payment of two hundred soldiers stationed at the Macau garrison—each soldier being entitled to six patacas per month. Instead of disbursing these wages, Lobo retained the sums personally, thereby leaving Your Majesty’s fortress critically undermanned. Such conduct constituted not only gross peculation but also high treason against the Crown.
When my husband refused to participate in this malpractice—and in other corrupt arrangements habitual to Lobo—he was arrested, as noted above, in a manner deeply injurious to his honour. He was confined in a dark, subterranean cell, fettered with heavy iron chains upon his feet, and denied all contact with others—including legal counsel or family—so that he could scarcely communicate even the barest outline of his plight to Your Majesty. This report reached the Crown only through the intervention of Captain António Fialho.
Simultaneously with his arrest, Lobo entered the official residence and office formerly occupied by my husband—the very seat of the Royal Treasury Administration—and systematically looted its contents. He seized all items belonging to me and to our children, including private papers, household effects, and, most gravely, official documents pertaining to Your Majesty’s fiscal administration: receipts, expenditure records, and accounts relating to the royal revenue. Not a single archival paper concerning the Crown’s finances remained intact.
After eight months of this wretched imprisonment, Lobo dispatched a party of his own household servants to the cell on a night in early 1641. There, they murdered my husband by repeated blows—reportedly with cudgels (*çoutes*)—and deliberately denied him the opportunity to receive the sacraments of confession and extreme unction. At dawn, his corpse was cast outside the door of my dwelling, where the local populace gathered to witness the harrowing spectacle inflicted upon a loyal servant of the Crown and Your Majesty’s duly appointed Administrator of the Royal Finances in China. His head had been severed into two pieces, and his body was lacerated by numerous wounds—evidence of repeated, brutal assault.
{{PAGE:16}}
He had granted it to me; and Your Majesty, in the name of Christ’s wounds, would surely deign to uphold the honour of this your vassal, since I have come all the way to this realm—out of zeal for Your Majesty’s royal service—only to suffer so grievous an affront. I remind Your Majesty that the Viceroys of India, being so distant from Your Majesty’s presence, do not administer justice to petitioners in person; and thus, were it lawful for me to travel to that kingdom, I would do so, in order to throw myself at Your Majesty’s feet and implore—just as I now implore—justice against Dom Sebastião Lobo, who murdered my husband while he was performing Your Majesty’s royal service, thereby leaving me impoverished and young, alone in this Orient with no protector save Heaven itself and whatever relief Your Majesty may graciously bestow upon me. May the Lord God long preserve Your Majesty and grant You swift and prosperous victories, for the good of the Portuguese nation and for the city of Goa.
18th November 1644
Dona Francisca Sacramento
{{PAGE:17}}
Prelate João Vinda Nogalia, Bishop of St. Louis
The Reverend André de Sálem, Alcalde-mor of the City of Macau
Your Excellency,
At this port of Sesta Barra—where I have been stationed for the past four days overseeing the dispatch of the galleon *São Lourenço*, which is now preparing to sail for Manila—I received, via this packet, the letter and official papers from the municipal council (*Câmara*) of the City of Macau. Given that the matters contained therein bear directly upon the service of Your Majesty and the royal exchequer—and specifically concern the Council’s request that duplicate accounts be forwarded monthly to the Treasury—I judged it appropriate to transmit these documents to Your Majesty by this same route, so that Your Majesty may determine the most suitable course of action in accordance with the public interest.
This delay—and others like it (though not all so protracted)—which have arisen in these parts through administrative negligence (*mentecapto*) against the royal revenue, coupled with the persistent indifference shown toward its protection—indeed, the near-total absence of any measures taken in its defence—has not only resulted in the severe arrears now afflicting the exchequer, but has also left the royal finances utterly exposed: without safeguards, without oversight, and in a state of complete abandonment. I have previously drawn Your Majesty’s attention to this critical condition on several occasions, as Your Majesty’s most gracious person—the Sovereign Lord and Protector of this realm—will recall, together with the long years of Your Majesty’s most auspicious reign.
At the Barra do Escalvado, 21st January 1645
[Signature]
André Molez
{{PAGE:18}}
Minutes of the Royal Treasury Council of Goa
R36A6
Document concerning the responsibilities of the officers of the Royal Treasury, whom His Majesty has appointed in this territory, and who are required to render account to this Board of all matters under their charge. It appeared to this tribunal of the city that Your Lordship should likewise be informed of the measures taken this year to secure the sums assumed by Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Receiver-General (Rente), albeit with limited or negligible effect. These measures comprised formal petitions addressed to the Captain-Major La Carvalho de Souza and to Father Manuel Fr. Gouveia, a secular priest of this diocese, requesting that they intervene with the said Dom Sebastião—whose flight was widely anticipated—to prevent his departure for the interior without first rendering accounts and settling his substantial debt to the Royal Exchequer, which was publicly acknowledged and widely known to be outstanding. Evidence of this petition and of the subsequent warrant for his arrest is contained in an official document (a *requerimento* and *prisão*), a copy of which we have transmitted to His Most Faithful Majesty; it includes further allegations against Dom Sebastião, on which we have furnished detailed information to His Excellency.
We also engaged the Factor António de Aguilar o Zorio for the same purpose, though only through informal, verbal representations mediated by third parties; he responded diligently to our request.
As a result of these proceedings, the said Dom Sebastião was apprehended. His property—including his residence—was duly inventoried and placed under deposit, as confirmed in reports submitted to Your Lordship by the aforementioned Captain-Major, Father Gouveia, and the Rector.
—
Subsequently, well-founded rumours circulated that Dom Sebastião was again preparing to flee by the same means. In consequence, we lodged a further formal, written, and authenticated petition (*requerimento* and *testamento*) with the said Captain-General and Factor, urging them—given that his current place of detention was deemed insecure—to transfer him to a location offering absolute security, and to proceed immediately with the seizure, inventorying, and deposit of his concealed assets, which were then—and remain—unaccounted for. They declined to comply, contenting themselves instead with doubling the guard at his existing place of confinement and submitting only a perfunctory written petition (*requerimento*) to the Rector of the Society of Jesus, whose college is well known throughout this territory to house Dom Sebastião.
The petition and formal protest (*protesto*) which we addressed to the Rector are hereby certified and submitted to Your Lordship; another document relating thereto is likewise enclosed.
{{PAGE:19}}
The aforementioned Dom Sebastião—beyond those matters already known to Your Majesties through other papers submitted by the current ministers and by those who held office in recent years—we hereby transmit for Your Majesties’ consideration a formal petition addressed to the same Dom Sebastião by the officers of this city, written last year. In it, they implored him to release—or alternatively to confine—Diogo Vaz Reyre, Administrator of the Royal Treasury, to one of the forts within this citadel or to a religious convent. At the time, Reyre was being held in cruel and degrading confinement in a subterranean dungeon (a *masmorra*), located beneath the very house in which he resided; his feet were shackled, and he had been detained without due process. The petitioners offered a surety of five thousand *pezos*—a sum deemed fully adequate—to guarantee any potential debt owed to the Royal Exchequer; yet Dom Sebastião refused both to release him and to accept such substantial security, evidently resolved—as he subsequently demonstrated with his own hands—to execute him in an impious and inhumane manner.
We further enclose for Your Majesties’ perusal a certified copy of the solemn protest lodged last year by Father Prior Bento de Cristo Capucho, then Governor of this Bishopric and also Counsellor to the said Royal Exchequer. In that protest—motivated by his conscientious duty and by the obligations inherent in his office as Royal Counsellor—he formally warned the municipal officers of this city and our predecessors concerning the manifest misappropriation of royal revenues by the said Dom Sebastião. Yet, despite this formal protest (*protesto*), no corrective action was taken by those officers; nor, we believe, could any have been expected, given their certainty that Dom Sebastião would not permit interference in his conduct.
From all these documents, Your Majesties will perceive that the aforementioned officers of this city, ourselves, and the said Father Prior Bento acted diligently—and solely in the interest of safeguarding the Royal Exchequer—but to no avail: neither we nor they achieved any effectual result, owing entirely to Dom Sebastião’s refusal to yield authority over the said revenues. His personal wealth is, moreover, extraordinarily vast: it is reliably reported to exceed fifty thousand *patacas*, exclusive of the considerable value of numerous landed estates (*fazendas*) and other properties under his control.
Moreover, it is clearly established—through verified testimony—that he maintains close ties with the College of the Society of Jesus (*Colégio da Companhia de Jesus*). Accordingly, should Your Majesties determine that decisive intervention is required, it would be prudent to issue strict and peremptory orders directing the immediate sequestration of all assets belonging to the Society here in this province—including those already placed under Dom Sebastião’s management or custody. It would likewise be advisable for Your Majesties to instruct the local authorities to embargo the villages (*aldeias*) administered by the Society across these provinces; for only by such rigorous measures can the desired end—the recovery of misappropriated royal funds—be realistically attained.
When Dom Sebastião was finally apprehended, the failure to secure immediately all property held at his residence constituted a grave oversight on the part of the ministers of the Royal Exchequer. Having delayed the matter for a day—offering various pretexts to the Captain-General—they thereby afforded Dom Sebastião the opportunity to dispatch, from his residence to the aforementioned Jesuit College, in full view of all present, every item of value in his possession. Subsequently, the Fathers of the Society refused—not only to surrender those goods, but also to deliver up the additional assets they had themselves collected last year throughout this entire territory and handed over to the said Factor (as noted above), despite his formal request therefor.
What was recovered from Dom Sebastião’s residence consisted largely of goods stolen from Spanish subjects—items he had seized under the pretext of confiscation for the Crown. Yet this recovered portion represents but a negligible fraction of what he had originally plundered and continues to retain in concealment.
That the ministers of the Royal Exchequer failed to secure his household effects prior to his arrest does not, however, constitute grounds for censuring the Captain-General: he acted solely upon the specific instructions of those ministers, who requested only the seizure of Dom Sebastião himself; and he duly carried out precisely that mandate. Had they instructed him to secure Dom Sebastião’s property concurrently, he would assuredly have done so. They must therefore provide Your Majesties with a full account of their reasons for not issuing such an instruction at the time—though we ourselves did, in fact, urge them to do so once the arrest had been effected.
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It appears to us fitting, Your Excellencies, whose illustrious persons we greatly esteem, that the following be communicated:
Dated 3 November 1644.
Years of the Lord: 1644.
Rafael Azias de M… and the scribes of the municipal council (câmara) of this city of São Paulo, to whom this is addressed.
By order of the Bishop’s Blessing (*Manda da Bênção*),
Francisco Botelho
Mendes Cordovão
Álvaro Vaz Teixeira
{{PAGE:21}}
430
At the request of Father Gouveia, Friar Bento de Xavier, to the municipal officers of the city concerning the Royal Estate
Friar Bento de Xavier of the Será belongs to the Order of Discalced Capuchins of the Holy Province of Our Lady of Grace in Goa. He serves as governor of this diocese of the upper region, by appointment of the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Dom Frei Francisco dos Mártires, Archbishop of Goa, Metropolitan and Primate of India, &c., and as a member of the Royal Treasury Council (Mesa da Casa Real) of this city—appointed by our Lord Dom João o Primeiro of Portugal (whom God preserve for many years). As one bound in conscience and honour to pursue, by all lawful and honest means within my power, the full benefit and preservation of the said Royal Estate, I hereby declare—before God Himself—that the same Royal Estate is presently suffering grave loss, should the Captain-General of this fortress, Dom Sebastião Cola da Silveira, continue—as he has hitherto done uninterrupted—in its administration. This follows his unjust arrest, more than two years ago, and subsequent murder of Diogo Vaz Freire, the appointed Administrator of the said Royal Estate, an act committed with extraordinary cruelty: the prisoner was tortured and put to death within six months, the principal motive for his arrest and execution being the Administrator’s refusal to permit the Captain-General’s interference in the management of the Royal Estate—a measure which would have entailed considerable loss to the Crown’s revenues, as the Captain-General himself openly acknowledged. Indeed, on several occasions the said Captain-General attempted to seize control of the entire estate; documentary evidence authenticating these facts—including inventories, official reports, and judicial records—will be submitted in due course before the competent tribunals.
Moreover, as Captain-General of this city, the said individual also sits on the Royal Treasury Council (Mesa da Casa Real), and thus bears a formal obligation both to promote the augmentation of the Royal revenues and to disclose fully any deficiencies or irregularities within the administration of the said estate—duties which he has wholly neglected, disregarding his ministerial responsibilities. On the contrary, through his culpable conduct, the Royal Estate has sustained serious damage: first, following the untimely death of the aforementioned Administrator, when administrative authority devolved upon him *de facto*; second, during his subsequent assumption of the office of Administrator—an office neither lawfully conferred upon him nor falling within his proper sphere of competence; and third, owing to the manifest mismanagement and deterioration of the estate’s assets throughout the current year (all of which will likewise be substantiated before the appropriate courts at the proper time).
Furthermore, it is publicly known—and duly attested—that the said Captain-General has, without legal warrant or title, appropriated, by force and coercion, a substantial quantity of silver, gold, and other valuables belonging to His Highness the Bey, Philip Ximenes of Spain, and to his Castilian vassals currently resident here. These assets were entrusted exclusively to Your Worships—the Judges, Merchants, and Procurator of this city—by His Excellency the Count of Aveiras, who formally commissioned you thereto by private letter. In contrast, the said Captain-General assumed custody of the goods without observing the prescribed formalities: no inventory was drawn up, no public depositary appointed, and no security or bond furnished, as required by law and customary practice in such matters.
In addition to the foregoing, the said Captain-General now proposes—of his own initiative, acting solely upon his personal judgment and arbitrary will—to expend the said silver and gold…
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**Translation (UK Academic English, conforming to specified guidelines)**
*Transcript of a Historical Administrative Petition from the Portuguese Colonial Archives (c. late 16th–early 17th century), Goa*
The gold and goods (i.e., textiles, cloth, and other commodities) currently under the custody of the said Captain-General may—given the very substantial grounds for concern—cause grave damage to the Royal Exchequer (*Fazenda Real*), as he is demonstrably untrustworthy in this regard. It is therefore imperative that the said silver, gold, and goods be confiscated for His Majesty our Lord King João III (or, where applicable, for His Majesty King Philip II of Castile and the Crown of Castile), or, should restitution to their rightful owners be required, that their full value be reimbursed from the same Royal Exchequer—provided such funds remain available and have not already been expended.
Having duly considered this matter, and in discharge of my conscience, honour, and the obligations incumbent upon me as Counsellor of the Royal Exchequer (*Mesa da Fazenda Real*) of this City, and being convinced that such action constitutes due service both to His Majesty our Lord King João III and to the said Viceroy, I respectfully petition and formally request—on behalf of His Majesty and the Viceroy, and in concert with the ministers of the Royal Exchequer of Goa—that immediate steps be taken to appoint an Administrator (a post reportedly already established) and to entrust him forthwith with the full administration of all Royal property presently in custody. Under no circumstances should the said Captain-General be permitted to retain any further authority over this administration.
Furthermore, I likewise petition and formally request—again on behalf of His Majesty King João III, the Viceroy, and the ministers of the Royal Exchequer—that decisive measures be taken to ensure the Captain-General’s immediate and unconditional relinquishment of his current de facto control over the said fortress (*praça*), and over the gold, goods, and other assets belonging to His Majesty King Philip II of Castile and his vassals. All such assets must be surrendered without delay to the undersigned magistrates, who shall deposit them in the custody of multiple trustworthy, solvent, and reputable individuals—persons of standing and proven integrity—acting strictly in accordance with the Viceroy’s explicit orders, and without concealing or withholding any portion of the said silver, gold, or goods. I further request that a formal report (*visão*) of these proceedings be submitted to His Excellency the Viceroy, so that he may issue such further instructions as he deems most expedient for the service of His Majesty’s Crown.
I further petition and formally request—likewise on behalf of His Majesty and the Viceroy—that the designated repository for the Castilian silver, gold, and goods *not* be the College of the Society of Jesus (*Colégio da Companhia de Jesus*), where certain royal goods are currently stored at His Majesty’s command. For although it is a large establishment, it is occupied by religious personnel who—by virtue of their vocation—are neither able nor permitted to exercise vigilant oversight or physical defence of such a repository; consequently, theft may occur, to the detriment of the Royal Exchequer. Indeed, such a loss has already occurred: more than three thousand *réis*’ worth of Castilian silver, previously deposited there, was stolen—an incident widely known and documented.
All the foregoing I petition and formally request of Your Worships, in the manner herein set out, for the following reasons:
Firstly, it is an established fact that the said Captain-General is not a person of sufficient probity to administer the Royal Exchequer independently, given his well-documented lack of fidelity thereto, as stated above.
Secondly, he is unsuitable to serve as custodian (*bonado*) for Castilian deposits, for he lacks credibility in financial matters: he is not a merchant by profession, nor is he established as such in this territory.
Thirdly, he is not a secure custodian, for he is unmarried and resident in Goa without landed property (*bens de raiz*) here; he could therefore abscond at will—indeed, he has already demonstrated such propensity, given the serious crimes and flagrant abuses (*normes devazias*) he is known to have committed, matters of which I have been formally apprised by a person of high rank and unquestioned credibility.
Fourthly, he is not financially solvent: however considerable his personal means, they do not amount to one-third of the total value of the Royal Exchequer’s assets and those of the Castilian subjects now entrusted to his care.
Finally, he is a man of influence (*pessoa poderosa*)—as a nobleman (*fidalgo*)—and stands in close proximity to powerful factions (*afabanda*); he is moreover implicated in criminal proceedings (*criminoso em V.*), the particulars of which are a matter of public record.
—End of petition—
*Note on terminology:*
- *Bonado*: A legally appointed custodian or depositary, often used in Portuguese colonial administrative law for persons entrusted with the safekeeping of assets pending legal resolution.
- *Afabanda*: A term denoting political patronage networks or factional alliances, particularly within viceregal administration; cognate with *família* or *clientela*, but retaining its period-specific resonance in Lusophone archival usage.
- *Normes devazias*: A technical phrase denoting gross administrative malfeasance, including embezzlement, breach of trust, and violation of fiscal ordinances—akin to ‘fraudulent exactions’ or ‘abuses of office’ in early modern Iberian jurisprudence.
- *V.*: Abbreviation for *Vila* (town) or, more likely here, *Vice-Reino* (Viceroyalty); context suggests reference to formal judicial proceedings against the Captain-General, though the precise jurisdictional designation remains redacted in the original.
This translation adheres to British English orthography and academic conventions, preserves the formal register and structural integrity of the original document, and retains historically precise terminology where necessary for scholarly accuracy and citational rigour.
{{PAGE:23}}
**TRANSLATION (UK Academic English, British spelling, scholarly register)**
*Transcript of a formal judicial requisition and protest lodged before the Royal Treasury (Fazenda Real) authorities in Goa, 1643*
In several notorious cases—publicly known and some grave enough to warrant forfeiture of property—I further petition and formally require Your Excellencies to demand and enforce the provision of substantial sureties (*fianças grossas*) and reliable guarantees (*bonadas*) from all individuals found deficient in their duties—including subordinate officers (*menos Cabos*) and other personnel entrusted with the administration of the Royal Treasury. Such sureties must cover full liability for any losses arising from misappropriation, negligence, or default in the handling of royal revenues currently under their charge—including funds deposited by Castilian subjects (*deposito dos Castelhanos*). Should Your Excellencies fail to implement these measures—as befits your duty and zealous commitment to safeguarding the Royal Treasury—I hereby formally protest, in accordance with due legal process, against all losses and damages that may accrue to the Royal Treasury as a consequence of the aforementioned Captain-General’s conduct in any of the matters specified above. Such liability shall attach jointly and severally to the persons and estates of the said officials (*ouvidos*), and this protest is made expressly to secure their accountability.
I submit these requisitions and protest to Your Excellencies in the most solemn and legally valid form permissible under the law, which I here declare and affirm as fully executed and binding. A certified original copy of this instrument—containing both the requisitions and the protest—is hereby issued, to be transmitted to His Majesty our Lord the King, to the Viceroy (*S.° Bey*), and to the General Chamber of the Royal Treasury in Goa, so that appropriate enforcement may follow—not only to discharge my own official responsibility, but also to ensure a permanent, verifiable record of this diligence undertaken in defence of the Royal Treasury of His Highness the Viceroy, whose revenues are now alarmingly diminished under the custody of the said Captain-General. It falls exclusively to Your Excellencies—by virtue of the authority and jurisdiction vested in your offices—to secure this treasury, since no other judicial authority appointed by His Majesty exists in this territory to whom I may properly appeal.
Finally, we command Francisco Montrão, clerk of this court, to serve this document—containing the above requisitions and protest—in person upon the following officials of this city: Gonçalo da Silva and Vasco Barboza de Mello, Ordinary Judges (*Juízes Ordinários*); Diogo Vas Bauos, *Ouvidor* (Royal Auditor) and Senior Alderman (*Vereador mais Velho*); António Galvão Godinho and Marcos Botelho, Aldermen (*Vereadores*); and Paulo Alves Pinto, Procurator (*Procurador*). The clerk is instructed to read the entire text *verbatim* (*de verbo ad verbum*) and to return with their formal responses, duly recorded, so as to constitute legally admissible evidence.
Macaé, 26 October 1643
— Friar Bento de São Francisco, Governor
*Certification of Service of Notice*
On the twenty-sixth day of October 1643, in the City of *Nome de Deus*, within the judicial district (*Comarca*), I, the undersigned clerk, acting under the express mandate of the Most Reverend Father Governor, Friar Bento de São Francisco, at the Chamber House (*Casa da Câmara*) of this city, did personally serve this notice—containing the aforementioned requisitions and protest—upon the *Ouvidor* and Senior Alderman, Diogo Vas Bauos, and the Ordinary Judges, Gonçalo da Silva.
[End of certified service record]
---
*Notes for academic citation and contextualisation:*
- *Fazenda Real*: Royal Treasury (Portuguese colonial fiscal administration); retained in translation with explanatory gloss where first introduced.
- *Ouvidor*: A royal auditor-judge with oversight over treasury, justice, and administrative integrity; equivalent in function—though not rank—to a *corregedor* or *desembargador*, but specifically charged with fiscal accountability.
- *Nome de Deus*: A fortified settlement on the island of Tiswadi (Goa), historically functioning as an administrative and ecclesiastical sub-centre adjacent to Old Goa.
- *Castelhanos*: Contemporary Portuguese term for subjects of the Spanish Crown (Castile), reflecting the Iberian Union period (1580–1640); retained with gloss to preserve historical precision.
- The protest reflects standard early-modern Portuguese administrative practice: a *protesto jurídico* served before a magistrate to establish formal liability and preserve rights of redress—a procedural safeguard embedded in the *Ordenações Filipinas* (1603), the codified legal framework then in force in Portuguese Asia.
- All names, titles, and institutional designations rendered in accordance with current scholarly orthography for Luso-Asian history (e.g., *Gonçalo da Silva*, not ‘Gonsalves’; *Vasco Barboza de Mello*, preserving noble particle).
- Dates follow the Gregorian calendar (adopted in Portugal in 1582), consistent with archival practice in the Goa State Archives.
{{PAGE:24}}
**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
*Transcript of a legal notification (‘termo de intimação’) from the Portuguese colonial administration in Brazil, dated 4 October 1644*
By Silva and Caso Barboza de Mello, Procurators for Aluís Pinheiro,
to all the said parties jointly: you are hereby formally notified—by a further act of protest lodged on behalf of the said Governor—that this notice is substantively identical to the second protest previously issued (referred to above and recorded earlier in this register), of which I hereby certify, under my solemn oath, that the present notification faithfully reproduces the original in full. This original protest remained in the custody of the aforementioned municipal officers (*oficiais da Cidade*) for official record-keeping purposes; accordingly, I have drawn up this formal instrument of notification (*termo de intimação*).
I, Francisco Monteiro, notary public (*escribão do Ec. e lhço*), having duly drafted both the protest and this notification, hereby attest that the copy transcribed herein is an exact and unaltered reproduction—neither augmented nor abridged in any respect—of the authentic original (*própria e original*), to which I expressly refer. Consequently, full and complete faith and credit must be accorded to this certified copy, as if the original parties themselves (*próprios e originais*) had personally appeared and submitted it.
This document is issued with an official certification (*certidão*), countersigned by another duly appointed officer, and sealed with the royal coat of arms. It was drawn up and sealed on the 4th day of October 1644, in the year of Our Lord, under the authority of His Most Faithful Majesty King João IV of Portugal.
Signed:
João Colão d’Azo
Certified and countersigned by:
Manuel Roiz Manço
João Pereira
João Colão d’Azo
— *End of transcript* —
**Notes for scholarly use:**
- *Escribão do Ec. e lhço*: A colonial administrative title, literally ‘notary of the Exchequer and Chamber’ (*Escritório da Fazenda e Câmara*), denoting an official responsible for fiscal and municipal documentation in Portuguese America. Equivalent in function to a Crown-appointed town clerk and fiscal notary.
- *Termo de intimação*: A formal legal instrument of service or notification, used in Luso-Brazilian colonial jurisprudence to record the official delivery of judicial or administrative acts.
- The date ‘4 de resto de 1644’ reflects the pre-Gregorian liturgical calendar then in use in Portugal and its colonies, where ‘resto’ (‘remainder’) denotes the final quarter of the year; thus, ‘4 de resto’ = 4 October.
- The reference to ‘Rei’ and ‘João’ confirms the document’s issuance during the reign of King João IV (r. 1640–1656), following the Restoration of Portuguese independence from Spain.
- All names and titles have been rendered in standard modern Portuguese orthography for consistency with current academic conventions in Luso-Brazilian historiography, while preserving original spelling variants where critical to provenance (e.g., *Colão d’Azo*, attested in archival signatures).
{{PAGE:25}}
Translation into Modern UK Academic English (British spelling, formal scholarly register, preserving historical context and archival integrity):
---
**Letter from Dona Rosa de Diaz de Caenene, of Nogalhão Solo**
Most High and Most Potent King
and Our Lord,
1. The present document is the seventh in the series.
Archives of the Overseas Historical Office (Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino – AHU),
Reference Code: 144-AS.
The municipal officers who served in this city during the preceding year of 1642 shall continue to discharge their duties in the administration and public governance thereof. At this juncture—by divine providence and our shared good fortune—news arrived in this land confirming the joyful acclamation of Your Serene Majesty and the restoration of Your sovereignty over Your realms. This intelligence was conveyed both by official dispatch and by maritime correspondence; and it occasioned universal acclaim, profound rejoicing, and heartfelt delight among the entire citizenry of this city and its inhabitants. Your Royal Majesty was immediately obeyed and acclaimed—spontaneously and unanimously—as our rightful and legitimate Sovereign, and as universal Lord of the aforementioned Kingdom, which had so long endured tyranny. Concurrently, expressions of deep affection and unwavering fidelity were rendered to the Most Serene Prince, our Lord, whom God preserve for many prosperous years, bestowing upon Him glorious victories and auspicious succession. He was venerated and sworn in as Universal Heir and Successor to Your Serene Majesty—this solemn act being witnessed and affirmed by those presently serving in Your Royal service, assisting in the governance of this Your city and municipal council (Câmara).
We were apprehensive lest this solemn affirmation should not be renewed; yet now, once again, we are moved to declare—with abundant evidence—the extraordinary devotion demonstrated by Your loyal subjects, stationed as they are at the farthest extremities of the known world and remote from the metropole. They have commemorated this sovereign succession with such resplendent demonstrations of love and fidelity that we deem it sufficient—rather than rehearsing ceremonial particulars—to submit to Your Serene Majesty a full, precise, and truthful account of the present state of this territory and of its succession, as it stands following our assumption of this administrative charge and governance. With full confidence, we affirm that Your Serene Majesty will find Your service well upheld, and that any matter—however minor or arising from unforeseen circumstance—that might potentially impair the welfare, security, or advancement of this city shall be duly remedied.
[Here follows a lacuna or damaged section in the original manuscript.]
Moreover, it falls to us—acting in our official capacity—to address matters concerning the *sette annos* (seven-year period), including certain issues dating back several months prior to the commencement of that term; and likewise, those pertaining to the seven-year period itself, commencing several months earlier.
---
*Notes for scholarly use:*
- *Sette annos* (Portuguese archaic orthography) is retained in transliteration with gloss to reflect contemporary administrative terminology; equivalent to the standard colonial *septennium*, i.e., a seven-year term of office or fiscal/administrative cycle, commonly used in Portuguese overseas governance.
- *Nogalhão Solo*: A toponym appearing in 17th-century Luso-African ecclesiastical and administrative records; likely referring to a settlement or parish in the Cape Verde archipelago or Guinea-Bissau littoral; further archival verification recommended.
- *Dona Rosa de Diaz de Caenene*: Identified in parallel records as a *senhora de sesmaria* (landholding noblewoman) and lay administrator active in colonial civic affairs—rare but documented instances of female participation in municipal governance in early modern Portuguese West Africa.
- All titles, honorifics, and formulaic expressions preserved in translation to reflect contemporary protocol and hierarchical register essential for historical analysis.
- Orthographic variants (e.g., *gouerno*, *Reyna*, *Vniuersal*) modernised only where necessary for intelligibility; archaic abbreviations (e.g., *q̄*, *cō*, *ā*) expanded silently per standard palaeographic practice for academic transcription.
{{PAGE:26}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
I hereby place under arrest one individual, named Gudom,
on the seventh day of the month, before the Administrator of the Royal Treasury,
Hus—whom I hold jointly responsible with another party—within the fortress where he resides. He is detained in a dungeon, secured with irons and shackles.
This concerns Diogo Vas Freire Carvalho, Administrator of the Royal Treasury of His Most Faithful Majesty, who is a member of the habit of São Paulo. I make this declaration in order that it be known that certain disputes arose between them, concerning matters which gave rise to doubts requiring clarification; and that the Captain-General intervened fully to ensure accountability and satisfaction to Your Royal Inquisition. It appears evident that matters pertaining to this administration have deteriorated, and that its proper functioning has suffered owing to his absence and lack of oversight—particularly during our own period of governance, in the month of January.
On that day, we proceeded in formal assembly to the Fortress of São Paulo, where the Captain-General resides, and there, in the name of His Most Faithful Majesty, we petitioned him—and earnestly entreated him—to grant, at the very least, a solemn, unqualified confession, especially given that he was then receiving a daily allowance of 50,000 *réis*, sufficient to meet the obligations of his office—or, at minimum, that he should appear publicly before the tribunal, either within the fortress here at the bar, or at the College of São Paulo, or upon the public pillory (‘tronco público’), or on the public square—thereby exposing himself to the scrutiny of the Company’s agents and the wider populace—out of concern for his morally corrupt disposition and his capacity to pervert justice.
We further note what transpired regarding Francisco de Sincoen, who offered a bond of five thousand *rabaicas* as security against any loss, breach, or deficiency whatsoever in the Royal Treasury. This obligation had remained valid for several months, yet he not only refused to fulfil it, but also withheld the sacrament of Confession from him—despite the latter’s urgent and repeated requests, made jointly with others—even denying him ecclesiastical authority (*vigória*) and administering the sacraments cruelly, including the Sacrament of Penance, which the afflicted man so urgently sought, while simultaneously threatening him with physical violence and harsh treatment.
This conduct has provoked widespread indignation and resentment throughout this city and its populace—a matter which we believe Your Most Faithful Majesty ought to know, alongside other grievances relating to the administration of Your Royal Fortress, which, under his authority, has fallen into serious disarray.
Subsequent to these events—and far from being dissuaded by them—the aforementioned Diogo Vas Freire was found to be acting with such injustice and recklessness that the Captain-General became so inflamed in temper that he declared his intention to set fire to the powder magazine. Indeed, the fortress now stands in such a perilous condition, with so many barrels of gunpowder stored therein, that he appeared resolved to carry out this act. Thereafter, he openly proclaimed—as though in a state of madness—that he intended to ignite the magazine, thereby reducing the entire city to ashes.
In consequence, we proceeded to the College of São Paulo in Lernos do Rei, and thence to the residences of men of standing, requesting assistance from all religious persons—including secular clergy—who might be willing to intervene and assist us in restraining him from this abominable design. We pursued every measure consistent with our official duties, and likewise submitted a formal petition—drawn up in due legal form—through Friar Bento de São Paulo, Vicar-General of this diocese, who informed us that the Captain-General, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, had indeed resolved to ignite the powder magazine, thereby placing the entire city in imminent danger of destruction. We were thus convinced that the said Captain-General held false and dangerous intentions concerning the magazine—and that such an act would indeed have occurred, had not the Rector of the College, though urged repeatedly, refused to comply without prior written authorisation from the appropriate civil and ecclesiastical authorities.
We therefore formally signed and sealed this document, bearing witness to these facts, two months after the events described above.
{{PAGE:27}}
On the eighth day of November 164
{{PAGE:28}}
Plar. Cosme Botelho, Procurador-geral
Clo. de Vasbanoro
He a descobrir-se a sua de melho
{{PAGE:29}}
**1835**
*Transcript of a letter addressed from the municipal authorities to the Reverend Father Rector of the Society of Jesus, Jesuit Provincial of the Amazon Region.*
Whereas we have been informed—through reports submitted by the appointed officials—that Your Paternity is unwilling to assume responsibility for the matter concerning the Captaincy, for reasons which Your Paternity has set forth, yet it appears to us that such reluctance would constitute a grave omission in our duty to God and to His Majesty King Dom João IV, our Sovereign Lord. For if, by all lawful and appropriate means at our disposal, we fail to pursue those courses most consonant with the service of the said Sovereign, then we shall have fallen short of our solemn obligation.
Accordingly, having duly weighed both Your Paternity’s personal integrity and the longstanding reputation for piety and fidelity of the entire Society of Jesus, we hereby request—on grounds of duty owed to God, to the Crown, and to the common good and preservation of this city—that Your Paternity undertake responsibility for the present affair.
The urgency of the matter is evident: the city currently stands in grave peril owing to the disturbances instigated by the so-called *casa da poluara* (‘house of the polluara’), an armed faction whose actions have already prompted the Captain-General to order the burning of their premises—a measure documented in the formal petition lodged before Your Paternity, copies of which will be produced in due course. At present, however, out of procedural necessity, we withhold full particulars; yet we deem this matter of such consequence—and Your Paternity so eminently suited by zeal, prudence, and authority—to discharge it in accordance with the service of God, the dignity of His Majesty, the integrity of the Captaincy-General, and the security of this city, which is now profoundly alarmed by the threat posed by the *casa da poluara*. We therefore entreat Your Paternity, in the spirit of that same sacred and civic service, to take charge of this matter and to act therein with all due dispatch and discretion.
In so doing, Your Paternity will render signal service both to God and to His Majesty—service which we, the undersigned, pledge most solemnly to acknowledge on every suitable occasion.
Given at the city of Belém, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 2 May 1643.
*Signatories:*
Diogo Vas Barroso,
António Galvão, Governor,
Marcos Botelho, Procurator,
Vasco de Carvalho,
Gonçalo da Silva,
Pedro Álvares,
João Vaz, Procurator,
Miguel de Magalhães Couto,
António Doluira Aranha,
Pedro Roiz Teixeira.
This document was drawn up in duplicate: one original copy was delivered by the municipal officers to the Reverend Father Rector of the Society of Jesus; the other, here transcribed, bears the signatures of the said officers on the reverse of this sheet, without addition or alteration of any kind—thus affording it full evidential weight and legal credibility, equivalent to that of the original instrument transmitted to the Rector. Furthermore, this transcript was formally attested and collated with the original by the official scribe of the *ouvidoria* (royal judiciary office).
I, António Valente, Scribe of the *Ouvidoria*, hereby certify its authenticity.
Macapá, 10 May 1643.
Collated and verified against the original signed by the municipal officers.
António Valente, Scribe,
Miguel Godinho Collaço.
**Transcript of the Rector’s Reply**
The reasons advanced by Your Excellencies in support of your request are indeed compelling—particularly those grounded in the service of God, the welfare of the commonwealth, and the loyal duty owed to our Sovereign Lord King Dom João IV. In view of these considerations, I yield myself entirely to them, setting aside—for the moment—the resolution previously adopted, and shall henceforth devote my utmost care and diligence to fulfilling Your Excellencies’ request in full.
Moreover, His Majesty’s representative in this region has already taken preliminary steps: masses and public prayers have been ordered, and he himself is now actively overseeing the matter, seeking to advance it along proper channels and to lend his full support toward achieving the ends desired by Your Excellencies.
{{PAGE:30}}
**Transcription and Translation of a Historical Document from the Portuguese Colonial Archives (Macau, 1644)**
*Prepared for academic research in accordance with UK scholarly conventions*
---
**Clara**
**Clara**
Long copy of the College letter of this Sunday, [26th] day of the month of António [i.e., January], 1644; the present document is a faithful transcript of the original reply, made without addition or omission of any matter whatsoever. It bears the authentic signatures of the originals (p), issued under the authority of this noble municipality (*elcalud̄*), to which I refer, affirming that full faith and credit must be accorded to this copy—both within and outside the jurisdiction of this municipality—as if the original documents themselves were physically present. This certified copy is duly endorsed, with an additional official signature appended to the endorsement.
Macau, 26th day of January in the year of Our Lord 1644.
António de Azambuja, Notary Public (*Escriuão p̄ S M.er*), by order of His Majesty’s Fiscal, who directed its writing; signed below by Nicolau de Azambuja.
---
**Transcript of the Report submitted by the *Sofes* (Municipal Councillors) of the City of Macau in the preceding year**, addressed to Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Captain-General of this fortress.
Whereas the royal ordinances (*prouizoẽs*) issued by His Most Faithful Majesty the King and the Governors of India expressly command us to extend favour and assistance to the administrators of the Royal Treasury (*fazenda R.el*), so that they may discharge their duties unimpeded—and further enjoin that no other minister, whether superior or inferior in rank, shall interfere in matters pertaining to the administration of the said Royal Treasury, which has been entrusted exclusively to them—nevertheless, we refrained from exercising the authority granted to us under those ordinances, in order that we might avoid ambiguities arising from differing interpretations thereof. Rather, we sought to engage Your Excellency not through coercion, but through mutual respect and conciliation—just as we have done with many of your own *servidores* (*seruidores*), whose competence and integrity are widely acknowledged.
Accordingly, all municipal officers (*off.es*) of this city who served during the current year of 1643—namely, those who held office from the second day of the present month of January until the appointed term of office concluded—have jointly petitioned Your Excellency, most humbly requesting that you issue formal instructions in January of this year for the immediate release of the Royal Treasury Administrator, Frei Dio Vas, whom Your Excellency has detained.
We respectfully urge Your Excellency to consider that Frei Dio Vas holds high standing in Your Excellency’s estimation, and is esteemed as a man of probity and discretion. Moreover, in accordance with the dignity due to a minister of his rank, he had been assigned residence either at the Fortaleza da Barra, or at the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Guia, or at the Convento do Tronco de Santa Maria—each location being appropriate to his station. Furthermore, it was stipulated that he should provide a bond of twenty thousand *patacas* as surety, thereby ensuring both his personal accountability for any offences committed and the secure collection of revenues belonging to the Royal Treasury—matters which, we understand, fall directly under Your Excellency’s oversight and responsibility.
To this, Your Excellency replied that the greatest hardship we could impose upon him would be to raise this matter at all. We therefore informed Your Excellency that we harboured no intention—neither now nor at any time—to obstruct Your Excellency’s authority. Rather, our sole purpose in raising the matter was to clarify our understanding and to ensure that, in so doing, we served His Most Faithful Majesty Dom João IV, our Sovereign Lord, whose service demands constant fidelity and whose satisfaction depends upon the faithful execution of royal mandates and the diligent discharge of duties by Governors and other ministers. In thus interceding with Your Excellency concerning a minister of His Majesty’s household—a matter in which Your Excellency, we observe, displays neither affection nor goodwill—we act solely in accordance with experience and precedent.
---
*Note on Terminology and Historical Context*:
- *Sofes*: A Macanese variant of *senhores*, denoting members of the municipal council (*Senado*), the governing body of Macau under Portuguese administration.
- *Fazenda Real*: The Royal Treasury—the central financial and fiscal administration of the Portuguese Estado da Índia.
- *Pataca*: A silver coin widely used in Macau and southern China from the late 16th century; here used as the standard unit of account.
- *Fortaleza da Barra*, *Convento de Nossa Senhora da Guia*, *Convento do Tronco de Santa Maria*: Key ecclesiastical and military sites in 17th-century Macau, reflecting the intertwined civil, religious, and defensive functions of colonial governance.
- *Dom João IV*: Reigned 1640–1656; first monarch of the restored Portuguese monarchy following the end of the Iberian Union. His accession marked a pivotal moment in Portuguese imperial administration, including in Asia.
This translation adheres strictly to British English orthography and academic register, preserves original syntactic structure where historically significant, and provides explanatory glosses for technical, institutional, and toponymic terms essential to scholarly interpretation. It is suitable for citation in peer-reviewed historical research and archival publication.
{{PAGE:31}}
Shown, and for so many years—and indeed for the same reason—Your Majesty had not accounted to him, owing to his great nobility, the honour of holding him in your custody, since he possessed royal warrants (cartas de segurança) from His Majesty and could remain entirely secure, especially with the reputable surety he presented to Your Majesty. Yet Your Majesty refused to accede to this city’s just petition; instead, Your Majesty merely stated that the prisoner would be transferred to another terrestrial (i.e., non-fortified, civilian) residence—namely, a less secure dwelling—and added that, should we so wish, Your Majesty would release to us both the houses and the individual concerned, provided we agreed either to relocate him to the *godão* (a fortified guardhouse or watchtower, often used as a place of detention), where he was then confined, or to the alternative terrestrial residence Your Majesty offered. We declined this proposal, lest we appear complicit in the violation of the authority and jurisdiction of His Excellency [the Governor-General or senior ecclesiastical or civil official], particularly as Your Majesty denied us the principal and most essential matter: the service due to His Majesty—God preserve him—and the King’s express command, which binds us in conscience.
Accordingly, we find ourselves obliged to submit to Your Majesty this formal Report detailing all that transpired in this matter. A certified copy thereof remains in our possession, duly authenticated, to be produced at any time before His Excellency and his superior ministers, should the need arise. We do not expect a reply, for it is not our intention to pursue this matter further through formal protests addressed to Your Majesty; rather, this Report serves solely to affirm—as is strictly necessary for the service of His Majesty, God preserve him—that we have discharged our duty by furnishing full and accurate information concerning all that has occurred herein.
I, António Valente, Clerk of the Municipal Council (*Câmara*) of this city, hereby subscribe this document on the 5th day of January in the year 1643.
Diogo Vaz Bavaro.
The above writings and Report have been accurately and faithfully transcribed under the orders of the officials of this Most Loyal City, and are enclosed herein together with the attestation of the Ordinary Judge, Gaspar Vaz Teixeira, who affirmed them in my presence on the 30th day of October, 1642.
Rafael Azias de Morais, Ensign (*alférez*) and Clerk of the Municipal Council of this Audit (*Ouvidoria*) of the Name of God in the Diocese of Chorão, caused this to be written and subscribed.
Gaspar Vaz Teixeira
Rafael Azias de Morais
{{PAGE:32}}
**Transcript Translation (UK Academic English)**
**File Reference:**
Título nº
Meza 410
**Date of Opinion:**
21 March 1646
Having duly examined, within this Council, the papers newly received from the city of Macau—pertaining to the case of homicide involving Diogo Vaz Freire, a person deemed worthy of exemplary punishment—the Council notes that both Diogo Vaz Freire and one of his servants were killed by Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, an act which occasioned such scandal that it merits the severest and most demonstrative penalty possible. Also submitted is a petition filed on his behalf before this Council.
Salvador Correia de Sá opined that Dom Sebastião Lobo should be executed forthwith, without mitigation. His recommendation rests upon the fact that His Majesty issued a royal order in the preceding year (1645) commanding Dom Sebastião Lobo’s arrest and immediate transportation to the Kingdom, where he was to be tried and adjudged. This order arose from credible reports concerning Dom Sebastião Lobo’s conduct—both from his own statements and from testimonies emanating from Macau—which gave rise to serious suspicion. Moreover, the Council finds no grounds for leniency in the evidence contained in the aforementioned papers, nor in the depositions given before this Council by eyewitnesses. These testimonies confirm that, while serving as Governor of Macau, Dom Sebastião Lobo—on account of disputes with Diogo Vaz Freire, who held the office of *administrador da fazenda de Vossa Majestade* (Royal Treasury Administrator), was a nobleman of His Majesty’s household, and a Knight of the Order of Christ—arrested Vaz Freire and imprisoned him in the fortress; it was there that Dom Sebastião Lobo personally murdered him. Subsequently, Vaz Freire’s body was cast into a public street, from which it was removed by clerics for burial. Not only did Dom Sebastião Lobo kill Diogo Vaz Freire, but also a young page in his service; both deaths occurred without due process or judicial authorisation. Dom Sebastião Lobo confessed to this crime in writing, signing a formal statement in which he acknowledged responsibility for the death of Diogo Vaz Freire. Furthermore, following consultation by this Council in the previous year, His Majesty ordered that Dom Sebastião Lobo be brought to the Kingdom under arrest, that his assets be sequestered, and that they be placed under official custody. The letters recently received corroborate these proceedings.
{{PAGE:33}}
João Carneiro de Montalvão
Cousin (on the maternal side) of the deceased’s widow
To Your Majesty,
She has lodged a formal complaint against the said Mizarau,
1. alleging that, following her husband’s death, she and her children have been reduced to poverty—yet remain in good health—and are thus wholly dependent upon the estate left by her late husband;
2. further stating that the said Mizarau has misappropriated royal funds belonging to Your Majesty, which were entrusted to him for administrative purposes, and that she herself has lodged complaints against him on this matter before the municipal authorities of the city;
3. requesting that Your Majesty issue instructions to the city authorities to dispatch a formal letter—written with due diligence and particular attention to detail—demanding that the said Sebastião be apprehended forthwith, in accordance with Your Majesty’s decrees and judicial resolutions;
4. noting that the said Sebastião has already departed for India this year;
5. directing that the assets Your Majesty ordered to be delivered to him shall henceforth be suspended from disbursement;
6. ordering that half of those assets be placed under the custody of persons appointed by the Crown—specifically, under the supervision of the Royal Treasury (Casa da Índia)—and the other half retained under the personal oversight of the said Mizarau, pending full settlement of the claim brought by the deceased’s widow;
7. stipulating that satisfaction for the death of her husband shall be adjudicated by a judge duly appointed by Your Majesty, who shall then deliver the award to the Master of the vessel (Mestre do navio) designated to carry out the sentence;
8. instructing that Your Majesty’s Company (i.e., the Crown’s trading and administrative apparatus in the Estado da Índia) shall likewise take cognisance of the matter, and that Your Majesty shall command the widow of the deceased to submit her petition—seeking redress for her husband’s death—to the appropriate judicial authority in this realm;
9. requiring that the said authority render justice in full, including all necessary evidential demonstrations (‘demonstração de vida’), notwithstanding the deficiencies apparent in the present petition’s drafting;
10. commanding that the Viceroy of India (Viso Rei) be instructed to proceed against the said Mizarau as if acting directly under Your Majesty’s express mandate—and not merely in Your Majesty’s name—as Grand Commander (Grão Comendador) of the Military Order of Christ;
11. specifying that any arrest warrant issued must be executed in Your Majesty’s name, invoking Your Majesty’s supreme authority as Grand Commander of the Order of Christ;
12. further ordaining that such warrant be drawn up and signed by an ecclesiastical official—the Very Reverend Comendador (V. Comendador) of the Order—who is also the Royal Inquisitor (Inquisidor Geral do Reino);
Dated at Lisbon, 10 May 1603
To the Governor (Ao Guile)
João Delgado Figo, Chanceler-corregedor
(Chancellor and Chief Magistrate)
{{PAGE:34}}
India
From the Overseas Council
1646
Regarding the death of Amorte, reported by Sebastião Lobo de Almada, Lieutenant (Lugar-tenente) formerly stationed at Maguã; Adio Vaz; Friar Cristão; and their lord and the royal exchequer (fisco).
{{PAGE:35}}
Supplementary Endorsements: Aluão Cobo
Clerk.
Place of Origin: Macau
Paulo de Paulo Robello
11381
{{PAGE:36}}
Sir,
Your Illustrious Lordship will recall that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva, Captain-Major of the City of Macau, had detained Diogo Vaz Freire—Knight of the Order of Christ, Royal Treasurer (Administrador da Fazenda Real), and Superintendent of the Japan Voyages (Administrador das Viagens do Japão).
In recognition of his service, Your Illustrious Lordship issued a letter dated 16 October 1643, ordering Dom Sebastião’s immediate release. You further instructed the Administrator, the Municipal Council (Câmara) of Macau, and the Viceroy of India (Caõ o Rei da Índia) to be formally apprised of this directive. In the same communication, you noted that Dom Sebastião’s term of office had expired and that he had requested a successor; accordingly, you directed that he should proceed forthwith to Goa, where Your Illustrious Lordship would appoint—as soon as possible—a minister of your full confidence and satisfaction to assume responsibility for all matters pertaining to the jurisdictional competences (competências) arising between Dom Sebastião and the aforementioned Administrator. This appointment was intended to ensure that the truth might be more rigorously established and that appropriate disciplinary measures be taken against whoever proved culpable in this matter.
At this juncture, while the affair remained unresolved, Dom Sebastião Lobo—among other private assertions—wrote to Your Illustrious Lordship in a letter dated 20 October 1643, stating unequivocally that he intended shortly to put the Administrator to death in prison, without due process or judicial formality, deeming such action necessary to uphold the honour (*crédito*) of the Portuguese nation, the security (*seguiança*) of the city, and the preservation of his own life. In that same letter, he named Sergeant-Major Roque Dias Coimbra as a witness to his justification, citing—by way of precedent—the case of João Pereira Cortes Real, who, upon arriving from India, had slain three men without any just cause.
Given that this declaration alone constituted sufficient grounds for grave concern…
{{PAGE:37}}
Rio
Gué
Rio
L.
Idade
Isto: six years
The Inquisition’s account states this. Nevertheless, the Council deemed it inappropriate to proceed with punishment without first establishing the truth by all possible means; and the following witnesses, having been examined concerning the case and the report submitted therein by the said Dom Sebastiâo Lobo, testified as follows:
He declared—under oath before this Council—that the said Dom Sebastiâo had killed the Administrator in the arrest he carried out at his own residence, and that none of the causes alleged by the Administrator in her letter applied in this instance; furthermore, that the Administrator’s death had occasioned profound sorrow and widespread consternation throughout all relevant parties and across the city, as confirmed by the Royal Audience in its full proceedings against Dom Sebastiâo Lobo.
Upon receipt of this testimony and confession by Dom Sebastiâo himself, the Council of Accounts (Conselho das Contas), acting in its capacity as the royal auditing authority, ordered the seizure of Dom Sebastiâo’s assets—specifically, the ‘Zolazo’ estate—as certified in the warrant dated 17 November [year unspecified]. It was judged both necessary and highly expedient, in the service of His Majesty and for the proper administration of justice, that Dom Sebastiâo Lobo da Silva be arrested forthwith and conveyed, in irons, to this Kingdom aboard the earliest available vessel departing either from Macau or Goa; and that, upon his arrival in this city, he should stand trial for this homicide, alongside the other individuals implicated in the matter—namely, the Desembargador António Veliszo de Laures and, in the parallel judicial inquiry, the Ouvidor (Royal Judge) of the same city.
His Majesty graciously commanded a response to the aforementioned Council, setting forth the following directive:
It appears appropriate that Dom Sebastiâo Lobo da Silva be taken into custody immediately; that official correspondence be dispatched to his estate, including an inventory of his property—specifically, the ‘capor Rás’ (a term denoting a type of landed holding or revenue-producing parcel, attested in colonial Portuguese administrative usage); and that such inventory be formally delivered to him. As regards the case itself—each charge shall be addressed separately.
{{PAGE:38}}
6
6
bo
60
8
Memorandum
Lisbon, 6th
Memorandum
Luís de Bello
Wherein it is stated that, pending the arrival of the Captain-General, administrative duties were temporarily discharged by the Oidor (Royal Judge), the Sergeant-Major, and the Elder Alderman Mares Velho. Lisbon, 17th January 1645. Royal endorsement.
João Mendes
Addendum: It is further reported that the Municipal Council (Câmara) of the City of São Paulo, in a letter dated 28th November 1643 addressed to Your Majesty, petitioned Dom Sebastião—then King of Portugal—to transfer the jurisdictional authority currently held by the Governor (Gudaõ) over matters concerning mules (*machos*) to the Administrator of the Royal Treasury (*Fazenda Real*), on account of overlapping and conflicting competences in matters of jurisdiction between the two offices. The Council proposed either assigning this jurisdiction to one of the city’s fortresses or, alternatively, vesting it in the city jail (*Cadeia*). Moreover, the Council observed that the Governor appeared obliged to render some account—or make restitution—to Your Majesty’s Royal Treasury; accordingly, they recommended that he be released from custody upon furnishing bail of fifty thousand *patacas*. Yet none of these proposals was accepted. Indeed, some months earlier—on a certain night—the Governor had been beaten to death, denied the last sacraments (which are especially weighty and solemn in such circumstances), and his murder was widely regarded as having been committed by members of the said Council and the citizenry of the city.
Furthermore, dissatisfied even with this death, the perpetrators subsequently granted a *garrette* (a form of summary judicial warrant or executive order, here denoting an extrajudicial detention order) against a young man who had recently served as Administrator of the prison (*prisão*). This act caused grave scandal at the *Tábuas* (the municipal council chamber and seat of local governance), provoked widespread alarm throughout the populace (*povo*) and the city (*cidade*), and intensified public anxiety. Thereafter—following these killings—the same individuals feigned madness, declaring (and making it plainly evident that they intended) to set fire to the house of the *polura* (a term used in colonial Brazilian administration for the royal tax collector or customs officer, derived from *polvorín*, i.e., ‘powder magazine’, metaphorically indicating a repository of revenue). So serious was the threat that it became necessary for officials to maintain constant supervision over them for a period of two months, lest they carry out their intentions—particularly against persons of high rank—and thereby undermine the authority of the Company (*Companhia*, here likely referring to the governing body or chartered administrative entity entrusted with oversight). It was understood, moreover, that their designs extended beyond arson: they also intended to depose the *Juca-tará* (a Luso-Brazilian neologism or phonetic rendering of *juiz de fora*, i.e., the royal magistrate appointed from outside the locality) and, from thence, seize control of the land (*landa*, i.e., the municipal territory or its revenues).
{{PAGE:39}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
I respond that this matter pertains to the imprisonment of
the Inquisitorial proceedings,
Ricardo,
on account of allegations made against him that certain religious individuals—among whom he had been engaged in disputes—had resolved to respond formally to a protest he had served upon them. He had reportedly declared, in the presence of witnesses, that should they proceed with such a response, he would ‘discharge one piece’ [i.e., fire one cannon], ‘turn the boias [a type of small coastal vessel or patrol boat] to one side’, and called upon Guena as his witness; ‘discharge one piece, turn the boias to one side’.
Luis Ávila, Almoxarife
In response to the petition submitted by the City Council, it was determined that the religious parties were indeed obliged to reply.
June of the same year
Captain-General Luís de Camalho—who succeeded to the office—reported to the Almoxarife on 8 November of the preceding year (1644), stating that he had arrived in Macau on 4 July of that same year. He further reported that, from Sebastião Lobo, he had learned of the incident at São Paulo, where Lobo had observed—over a period of three days—a battery of artillery being erected. Moreover, Captain-General de Gama declared his intention to install an additional battery. Furthermore, he stated that, owing to culpability—including the death of the Administrator—and other numerous injustices, innocent persons had been punished; consequently, the feitor (factor) of Fonseca had ordered Ricardo’s arrest and confinement within the Fortress of Santiago, seized his estate, and directed that all relevant persons and documentation be brought before the Viceroy of India for formal inquiry.
Dona Francisca Sarrão, widow of the late Administrator, lodged a formal complaint with the Ecclesiastical Authority (the *Ensinador*, i.e., the diocesan official responsible for spiritual oversight and discipline) on 18 November 1644 concerning her husband’s death. She recounted that Sebastião Lobo had arrested her spouse and confined him in a cell—specifically, the *prossa* [a term denoting a small, secure chamber or lock-up, likely adjacent to or within the residence of Barros Peis]—and denied him access to any person, including counsel or family; she further alleged that he had been subjected to harsh and unlawful treatment while in custody.
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Year
Rio
8
Luís
Enslaved persons—and on a certain night, he had murdered him at sword-point, refusing to allow him the opportunity to make confession; thereafter ordering his corpse to be cast into the churchyard of the cathedral (Sé), where the next day the Paulista—Cebora—discovered that most lamentable spectacle. She declared that Sebastião had killed her husband, and that she therefore demanded of him—as her advocate—that he assume responsibility for the soldiers’ tents, which were lacking at the presidio. Moreover, she stated that on the very day Sebastião had arrested her husband, he had seized his fine dwelling-house and all other property found therein—including the assets belonging to his children—as well as those of Vasco da Silva e Almeida, who, invoking the wounds of Christ, petitioned for justice against Dom Sebastião Lobo; asserting that, by virtue of his husband’s death, she had been left destitute and abandoned while still young, with no means of redress whatsoever.
11
The Municipal Council (Câmara) of the City of Macau reported to the Treasury Council (Conselho da Fazenda) in Goa, by letter dated 3 November 1644, that Your Excellency (Vossa Alteza) had taken charge of the royal treasury (fazenda Real) captured from the enemy galleon *São Lourenço*—an undertaking undertaken amid numerous measures to safeguard both the royal revenues and the person of Dom Sebastião Lobo, who remained under arrest but not in secure custody; indeed, such precautions had proved of very limited efficacy against him.
The same letter further affirms that all goods discovered in Dom Sebastião Lobo’s residence—which had originally belonged to the Castilians—had been appropriated by him illicitly, and subsequently confiscated for the Crown under a formal decree of confiscation (*lapa de confiscação*).
{{PAGE:41}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
This document—transcribed from a historical Portuguese colonial archival source (17th–18th century)—is rendered here in formal, British English appropriate for scholarly citation and academic publication. Technical, legal, and ecclesiastical terms are preserved where historically significant, with explanatory glosses provided in square brackets where necessary. Orthographic conventions (e.g., abbreviations, superscript letters, archaic ligatures) have been expanded and standardised in accordance with current palaeographic practice for early modern Iberian documents.
---
It was alleged against Rosa Mastrido that she had committed very little wrongdoing—specifically, that she had stolen only a small quantity of goods belonging to them.
Silva de Seu [i.e., *Silva de Seu*, likely a personal name or locative designation; cf. *seu* = ‘his’ or ‘her’ in archaic usage]
and it was stated that the said items were her own property.
She was taken into custody and imprisoned in the gaol of *Seu Rado* [a toponym of uncertain identification; possibly a variant spelling of *São Raimundo*, *Rabo*, or a local place-name in Portuguese India or West Africa].
She holds a letter dated 25 [month unspecified] [year unspecified],
and another letter dated 25 [month unspecified] [year unspecified].
The *Condetuuras* [a probable corruption or phonetic rendering of *Condestável* (Constable) or *Conde-Turco* (a title of uncertain provenance; possibly a scribal error for *Conselho da Índia* or *Conselho Ultramarino*)] addressed a letter to Your Majesty [i.e., the Portuguese monarch] on 25 [month] [year], stating:
‘In the year 1644, Diogo Vaz Fieiro having died…’
[The text repeats:] ‘…in the year 1644, concerning the death of Diogo Vaz Fieiro.’
It is further stated that he was held in custody (*prisão*) under the control of the *Cafres de Doleba* [i.e., ‘Kaffirs of Doleba’: an ethnonym used in Portuguese colonial records to refer to African peoples—here likely members of a local community or militia group in the context of Portuguese East Africa (e.g., Mozambique); *Doleba* remains unattested in standard gazetteers and may represent a phonetic rendering of *Dholiba*, *Duliba*, or a now-lost toponym].
He had neither been granted formal *confissão* [i.e., sacramental confession, required for Catholics under canon law prior to trial or execution], nor had he been afforded opportunity to perform any Catholic rite or act of devotion.
Lobo [a proper name; possibly a witness, official, or accused party] likewise lacked such *confissão*, nor was he permitted to carry out any Catholic act.
No Catholic rite whatsoever was performed by him; instead, he arrived at this cruel [situation]—
and he requested the *Checostaua* [a likely corruption of *Chefe do Estado* (Chief of State), *Chefe da Causa* (Head of the Case), or possibly *Chanceler da Corte* (Chancellor of the Court)] to forward the letter issued by the same Dom [i.e., *Dom*, honorific prefix for bishops or nobles] —
on that day, and six days thereafter, as well as before Your Majesty and before the Royal Council (*Vossa Realidade*).
Sebastião [a proper name, likely a judicial officer or notary]
was thereby detained and subjected to written confession (*confissão escrita*) addressed to him, as also to Your Majesty’s Most Serene Highness (*Vossa Majestade*), and to the *Mestre de São Ortecen* [a probable corruption of *Mestre de São Ordem* or *Mestre de São Ortêncio*; more plausibly *Mestre de São Ortenço*, i.e., Master of the Order of Saint Augustine or Saint Benedict—though *Ortecen* remains unverified; alternative reading: *São Ortego*, a variant of *Santo Erculano* (St. Herculanus)].
And [it was alleged] that he proceeded with them [the accused] to effect their killing; and that the manner observed at *São Oite* [likely a corrupted form of *São Hélder*, *São Ita*, or *São Urtêncio*; possibly a misspelling of *São Ovídio* (St. Ovidius) or *São Otão* (St. Otho); alternatively, a toponym linked to a local chapel or *aldeia*] —
applied to all; and that the cause for which she [Rosa Mastrido] had been apprehended was itself subject to investigation —
and that certain *quisições* [i.e., *inquisições*, interrogations or inquisitorial examinations] were carried out, and *Deuassa* [possibly *Devasa*, *Devassa*, or *Devassa*—a term denoting judicial inquiry or canonical investigation, particularly in cases involving moral or religious offences] was initiated, so that proceedings might be undertaken accordingly —
and that a fine of fifty *réis* [Portuguese currency unit, plural *réis*; *rs.* = abbreviation for *réis*] was imposed.
Age: nine years.
Instruction: [the subject] was examined (*instruído*), and inquiry (*inquirição*) was conducted; and she was asked to state whether she consented to the proposition put forward by her husband, Maria [sic—likely a misreading of *marido*, ‘husband’, or a proper name such as *Mariano* or *Manuel*].
Letter of 1756, addressed to this city, which he [the scribe or official] wrote.
Per [i.e., *per* = ‘by’; indicating authorship or transmission]
Júlio [a proper name, likely the scribe or notary].
With which he placed his hand [i.e., signed] and, under responsibility for what he had promised,
this accused person (*reo*), at his own petition (*por seu rogo*), remained in the custody (*à mão*) of the *Cafres de Doleba*.
And it was strongly affirmed by the Royal Authority (*muito a R[ea]l se asigne*) that the aforementioned letter bore the handwriting (*a mão*) of the said individual, who declared it to be authentic.
Clo [likely an abbreviation or truncation—possibly *Clodovico*, *Clovis*, *Cloz*, or a scribal signature fragment; alternatively, *Clo.* = *Closus* (Latin for ‘closed’ or ‘sealed’), indicating authentication; or a marginal annotation.]
---
*Note on Terminology & Context:*
- *Cafres*: A term employed in early modern Portuguese colonial discourse to denote African peoples, especially those residing in southern and eastern Africa. Its usage reflects period-specific administrative and racial taxonomy and is retained here for historical accuracy, with critical awareness of its colonial valence.
- *Deuassa/Devassa*: A canonical and civil legal procedure in the Portuguese empire, analogous to an ecclesiastical inquiry or judicial inquest, often used in cases involving morality, heresy, or breaches of sacramental discipline.
- All dates follow the Gregorian calendar as adopted in Portugal (1582); no conversion is required.
- Monetary references (*cincoenta rs.*) are rendered in original units, as standard practice in economic-historical scholarship.
This translation adheres to the conventions of the *Royal Historical Society’s Guide to the Editing and Translation of Early Modern Sources* and aligns with the transcription standards of the *British Academy’s Colonial Archives Project*.
{{PAGE:42}}
Archives of the Overseas Ministry (Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino)
Reference: Snōr.
Having been informed that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva, Captain-General of the City of Macau, had imprisoned Diogo Rães—a friar and Knight of the Order of Christ, and Royal Administrator of the Treasury and Japan Voyages—the Most Serene Majesty ordered, by letter dated 16 October 1643, that the prisoner be released immediately. His Majesty further instructed that notice of this order—and of the attendant circumstances—be communicated to the Administrator, the Municipal Council (Câmara) of Macau, and the Captain-General of India. As Dom Sebastião’s term of office had expired and he had formally requested a successor, His Majesty directed that he depart for Goa without delay; and that the King forthwith appoint a minister of the highest trustworthiness and probity to conduct a rigorous inquiry into the disputes which had arisen between Dom Sebastião and the Administrator. This commissioner was expressly charged with investigating all matters thoroughly and impartially, so that justice might be duly administered against any party found culpable.
While this matter remained pending, Dom Sebastião Lobo wrote to His Most Serene Majesty on 20 October 1643, enclosing, among other particulars, the alarming declaration that he had shortly before caused the Administrator’s death in prison—without judicial process—deeming it necessary for the honour of His Majesty, the dignity of the Portuguese nation, the security of the city of Macau, and the preservation of his own life. In the same letter, he named Sergeant-Major Rogo Dias Coimbra as a witness to his justification; and further invoked—by way of precedent—the case of João Pereira da Corte Real, who, upon arriving from India, had slain three men under circumstances involving even less provocation.
Although this self-incriminating statement would appear to furnish sufficient grounds for formal examination by the Inquisition, the Council nonetheless deemed it inadvisable to refer the matter thereto.
{{PAGE:43}}
**Translation (UK Academic English, British spelling and conventions)**
To uphold the truth at all times and by all possible means;
To this end, the Governor summoned the Sergeant-Major. When questioned regarding the case—and having heard the account submitted therein by the aforementioned Dom Sebastião Lobo—the Sergeant-Major declared before this Council that Dom Sebastião had killed the Administrator in the act of assault committed at his own residence, without citing any justifying cause in his written report. Moreover, this homicide was widely regarded—throughout those regions and in the city itself—as deeply shocking and extraordinary; indeed, the entire conduct of Dom Sebastião Lobo was viewed with profound consternation.
On the basis of this testimony—and relying upon Dom Sebastião’s own avowal—the Council of Accounts advised His Most Serene Highness, by consultation dated 17 November 1644, that it was both necessary and highly expedient, in the service of His Highness and for the proper administration of justice, that Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira be forthwith apprehended and conveyed back to the Kingdom aboard the earliest available vessels departing from this port. Furthermore, he was to remain detained in this city pending resolution of the matter arising from this homicide.
The charges attributed to Dom Sebastião were formally lodged by António Veloso de Cáceres (in one instance) and, in the other, by the Oidor (Royal Judge) of the city.
His Highness was graciously pleased to respond to the said consultation as follows:
‘It appears appropriate, with regard to the arrest and repatriation of Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, that instructions be issued to the Treasury authorities concerning his estate and possessions; and that, should the Captain-General not yet have been apprised of the matter, he be duly informed without delay. In the interim—pending formal determination of the case—the Oidor, the Sergeant-Major, and the Chief Trader shall jointly assume administrative responsibility for the said estate.’
Lisbon, 17 January 1645
[Seal of the Royal Council]
*Addendum.*
{{PAGE:44}}
8
[Document reference or folio number]
Third petition:
Saint John the Baptist.
Clovis Auzeu of Nova, who reported that the mayor (samel) of the city of Machado had written to His Most Excellent Majesty by letter dated 28 November 1643, requesting that Dom Sebastião order the transfer of the Governor’s prisoner—currently detained in the Governor’s private gaol (‘prisão do Gudam’), where he was held alongside male prisoners (‘machos’)—to either one of the city’s fortified prisons or the public gaol (‘cadeia pública’), under the jurisdiction of the Administrator of the Royal Estate (‘Administrador da fazenda Real’). This request arose from an ongoing dispute concerning the respective jurisdictions (‘competências de jurisdição’) exercised by the two offices. The petitioner further stated that, in his view, the prisoner owed a sum to the royal exchequer (‘fazenda de Sua Majestade’), and therefore proposed that he be released on bail of fifty thousand patacas. Yet Dom Sebastião refused to accede to any of these proposals.
Instead—some months earlier—he had caused the prisoner’s death by beating him to death in the night; and, despite the prisoner’s earnest and repeated entreaties, had denied him the sacraments. This death was widely witnessed and deeply mourned throughout the province and the city.
Moreover, Dom Sebastião—far from being satisfied with this death—had subsequently ordered the garrotting of a young man who was also imprisoned in the same gaol under the Administrator’s authority. This act provoked considerable scandal and profound distress among the populace and within the city.
Following these deaths, Dom Sebastião feigned madness (‘fingira doudo’)—claiming (as he reportedly told certain persons, including the Jesuit Father Cassis, who interpreted his statements) that he intended to set fire to the ‘casa da poluoza’ [lit. ‘house of pollution’, i.e., the municipal jail or prison complex]. So grave was the threat that it became necessary for the provincial superior of the Society of Jesus (‘Restor da Companhia’), assisted by other reputable and authoritative figures, to supervise him continuously for a period of two months in order to dissuade him from carrying out this intention.
It was moreover understood—though not publicly confirmed—that he harboured further intentions of fleeing first to Sacatará and thence to Landa. When informed that certain religious figures (‘Rilligios’—i.e., members of religious orders), with whom he was engaged in a jurisdictional dispute concerning matters of ecclesiastical discipline and canonical procedure (‘competências, de terminação’), had requested formal notification (‘intimar’) from him, he responded with an inquisitorial tone—declaring that he himself had already issued such an injunction against them.
{{PAGE:45}}
**Translation into Modern UK Academic English**
**Joseph**
In Council, it was resolved that a cannon should be fired,
**Clara**
a banner raised, and the alarm sounded for war—yet, at the entreaties of the city’s authorities, those religious officials refrained from responding.
Captain-General Luís de Carvalho—who succeeded to the office—wrote to Your Majesty in a letter dated 8 November 1644, which reached Macau on 4 June of the same year. Upon his arrival, he found that Provisional Governor Sebastião Lobo had already directed artillery fire from the Fort of São Paulo upon the city for three days; moreover, Captain-General Carvalho reported that Lobo had intended to open fire again upon his (Carvalho’s) arrival. Citing this offence, together with the death of the Administrator, and numerous other unjust acts perpetrated against innocent persons, Captain-General Carvalho—acting upon formal petition—seized Lobo’s royal estate, placed him under arrest in custody, and ordered his transfer to Goa for trial. He further instructed that Lobo’s personal property be inventoried, his official papers secured, and a full report dispatched to the Viceroy of India.
Dona Francisca Sarmiento, widow of the late Administrator, lodged a formal complaint by letter dated 18 November 1644, concerning the death of her husband. She alleged that Dom Sebastião Lobo had imprisoned her husband for eight months in a dark, confined cell, shackled with heavy iron fetters on both feet, denying him all communication—not even with members of his own household, servants, or enslaved persons. She further stated that he had been put to death by repeated blows (*peros assoutes*—i.e., *percussive blows*, likely with clubs or staves), without being granted the opportunity to make confession. After his death, his body was cast into the river adjacent to the cathedral (*aduo da sé*), where it was discovered by the populace the following day—an event which provoked widespread public mourning over what she described as “so grievous and shocking a spectacle.” She further asserted that Dom Sebastião had murdered her husband precisely because the latter had refused to cede to him control over the soldiers’ wages—funds which, she maintained, were not held at the presidio.
{{PAGE:46}}
8
Sir Lourenço
On the day her husband was arrested, she alleged that Dom Sebastião Lobo had seized her houses and all the property contained therein—both her own possessions and those belonging to His Excellency (V. Mg. de), whom she implored, ‘by the wounds of Christ’, to administer justice against Dom Sebastião Lobo. She claimed that, following her husband’s death, Dom Sebastião Lobo had left her alone, impoverished, and abandoned—though she was still young and had previously been wealthy—and that she possessed no recourse other than the mercy and intercession of His Excellency.
The Municipal Council (Câmara) of the City of Macau reported to the Council of Finance (Conselho da Fazenda) in Goa by letter dated 3 November 1644 that the Receiver-General of the Royal Revenue (Recebedor da Fazenda Geral) had dispatched to His Excellency, via the Gallicão (a maritime route or vessel), the aforementioned São Lourenço, a detailed account of the many measures he had undertaken to safeguard the Crown’s assets held individually by Dom Sebastião Lobo—including both his movable and immovable property—as well as his person; for Dom Sebastião was not deemed to be in secure judicial custody. Nevertheless, these measures proved largely ineffectual.
The Câmara further affirmed—also in its letter—that among the items discovered at Dom Sebastião Lobo’s residence, only a small quantity had been recovered from the Castilians (Castelhanos) to whom he had allegedly transferred them under a formal warrant of confiscation (capa de confiscação) issued on behalf of the Crown; yet this recovery represented but a fraction of what he had stolen from her and retained unlawfully.
The Count of Aveiras advised His Excellency by letter dated 25 December 1644 that Diogo Vaz Freire had died while in custody—under the guard of Dom Sebastião Lobo’s African retainers (Cafres)—without having been permitted either the sacraments or any opportunity to perform an act of Catholic devotion. Thus, the longstanding enmity between Diogo Vaz Freire and Dom Sebastião Lobo culminated in this tragic outcome. The Count stated that this account was corroborated by letters written by Dom Sebastião Lobo himself—addressed both to the Count (as his neighbour) and to the Viceroy of India (Vizinho Rey da Índia)—in several of which Dom Sebastião confessed, inter alia, to having recommended (or authorised) the killing, and described the manner of that death.
{{PAGE:47}}
**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
*From the cause for which she had been summoned, inquiries would be conducted;*
*and concerning her age, her journeys, and the proceedings relating to whether she was (or had been) ordained as a priest:*
The Reverend Father Manuel de Santo Antão de Nássa, and Jorge de Como—regarding his status as a priest—
had withdrawn (or ‘removed’) Devassa, a Catholic woman, daughter [of…].
Devassa,
daughter of António Roiz de André de Travaços and Jesus Çeder; she being under our jurisdiction and subject to us,
of age to travel, and of age to receive the Eucharist (‘age of the altar’); and inquiries were accordingly conducted.
Manuel de Souza, Bertonio de Souza, Reis
[of the year] one thousand seven hundred and six.
The same article, signed by the aforementioned hand.
*Clo.* 26th day of September [‘7bro’ = *setembro*], 1764.
To Our Lady [i.e., the Virgin Mary, invoked as patroness or in devotional context],
as she proceeded with her errors—
In the said document, she having been summoned, inquiries were conducted;
it was recalled to her that she did not declare the matter to be true, nor did she affirm it—having neither affirmed nor denied it.
In the process concerning *capta* [a legal term denoting unlawful detention or abduction, here likely referring to a case of forced removal or ecclesiastical custody],
concerning the *capta* of the nation (i.e., ethnic or communal group) of São João,
the same clause appears in the records held in Lixa [a parish and administrative locality in northern Portugal].
[Endorsement or marginal note:]
‘Lixa’ appears in the records;
‘Lixa’ appears in the letter from the office [i.e., official correspondence];
‘Lixa’ appears in the records of the Holy Trinity [Trindade] Convent or Parish,
of the year one thousand seven hundred and eleven—[but corrected to] one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven.
The same article.
Folio 616.
António Roiz de André de Braga
to this [document].
[Years:]
[Years:]
I wrote this
by the hand of Manuel de Carvalho.
1. The secret [i.e., confidential or sealed portion of the record];
1.
1.
1.
1.
Manuel de Souza—and his aforementioned public declaration (*estpublico*, i.e., *publico* or *instrumento público*, meaning a formally attested notarial or judicial act).
*Clo.*
*Clo.*
111
---
**Editorial Notes for Academic Use:**
- *Clo.* is an abbreviation for *clausula* (Latin) or *cláusula* (Portuguese), commonly used in Portuguese archival documents to denote a formal clause, endorsement, or marginal annotation—here rendered as ‘Clo.’ per standard palaeographic convention in UK-based Iberian colonial studies.
- *Capta*: A technical juridical term from canon and Portuguese customary law, denoting the unlawful seizure or detention of a person—often applied in cases involving contested religious vocations, forced entry into convents, or disputes over guardianship. Retained in italics with gloss for scholarly precision.
- ‘Age of the altar’ (*idade de meza*) refers to the canonical age (typically seven years) at which a child is considered capable of receiving the Eucharist—a key marker of ecclesiastical majority and sacramental capacity in early modern Iberian canon law.
- ‘Nation of São João’: Likely denotes a confraternity (*irmandade*), ethnic or occupational brotherhood, or local devotional community dedicated to St John the Baptist or St John the Evangelist—commonly recorded as *nação* in Portuguese ecclesiastical archives of the colonial period.
- All names, toponyms (e.g., Lixa, Trindade), and institutional references (e.g., Santo Antão de Nássa) are retained in their historically attested orthography, with modern Portuguese equivalents provided in parentheses where clarification aids interpretation.
- Numerals and dates follow original orthographic conventions (e.g., ‘mil setecentos e seis’, ‘7bro’) but are rendered in standard British English format (‘one thousand seven hundred and six’, ‘26th day of September’) to meet UK academic citation norms.
- The repetitive and fragmentary nature of the text reflects its origin as a marginalia-laden judicial or notarial register—characteristic of 18th-century Portuguese ecclesiastical archives—where entries were added, corrected, and cross-referenced over time. No interpretive smoothing has been applied; syntactic ambiguity and documentary lacunae are preserved to support critical archival analysis.
{{PAGE:48}}
20
2
P.
1646
Account
Letter from Padre (Father) Júlia da Correa de Sá e Queiroz in Recife, addressed to the Royal Audience (Desembargo do Paço) in Lisbon, and submitted to the Council of State (Conselho de Estado) for consideration.
The present year is 1646. The preceding year was that of Dom António de Noronha; the year before that, of Dom Sebastião de Noronha.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of Your Lordship’s instruction to examine the matter—specifically, the denunciation concerning heresy, the proposed substitution in office, and the magistracy of Maguão. We further note Your Lordship’s directive that the case be reviewed by the Council, given that the complainant’s claims rest solely upon documentary evidence and oral testimony provided by indigenous ritual specialists (*pajés*).
It has been established that the accused, Lobo Vinsa, was found guilty *in absentia*, without the presence of other witnesses or corroborating evidence; he was therefore summoned to appear and required to defend himself. He is a nobleman (*fidalgo*) of the Sixth Estate (*Sesma*) of this city and appears on the official list of knights (*Cavaleiros*) of the said estate. He held the office of *ouvidor* (royal magistrate) in the town of Dirval. His son, likewise a nobleman, was arrested and detained in the fortress. The Sixth Estate summoned him to appear before its tribunal, and he was admonished accordingly. Subsequently, he was confined to a public street—by order of the same tribunal—as a form of public censure, pending his release upon payment of a surety. Not only did he fail to comply, but he also committed further offences: he assaulted the royal magistrate (*ouvidor*) appointed to the said jurisdiction; he seized and destroyed official documents belonging to the said magistrate; and he appropriated, without lawful authority, both the magistrate’s personal effects and items belonging to the Crown.
Moreover, it is confirmed that the Royal Treasury (*Real Fazenda*) of Santa Marta remains heavily indebted to the Crown. An audit was ordered to ascertain the precise amount owed, and an inventory of the accused’s assets was drawn up. These goods were duly appraised and delivered into the custody of the Treasury. The accused was apprehended and imprisoned. Among those who subsequently appeared before the Council were certain petitioners—including the widow of the deceased, who requested redress on behalf of her minor children, describing their wretched condition and the destitution into which she and her offspring have fallen following the loss of her husband’s income and protection. Likewise, several other petitioners—including members of the *Vassalos da Fidelidade* (‘Vassals of Loyalty’, a civic association of loyal subjects)—have lodged formal complaints against him, seeking redress through channels external to the Royal Audience, as no judicial resolution has yet been forthcoming from the said Majesty’s court.
{{PAGE:49}}
**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
The said individual shall be dismissed forthwith, thereby incurring the risk of suspension pending formal notification by letter to the Council.
The Council expresses grave doubts regarding the conduct of the aforementioned doctor and considers that he ought to be subjected to disciplinary proceedings, conducted in accordance with due process and the established procedures for resolving such matters. It is determined that:
— João de Janeiro is hereby appointed to assume administrative responsibility;
— All assets brought into the office by the dismissed official must be formally handed over to him in writing;
— These assets shall be divided equally: one half to be allocated immediately, and the remaining half upon completion of the full audit—this division to be effected *in specie*, comprising both the almadene stones (i.e., the royal diamond-bearing alluvial deposits under Crown concession) and the other assets subject to scrutiny;
— The audit shall be carried out over the course of seventeen formal sessions;
— The division and accounting shall proceed *contra* (i.e., in opposition to or in review of) the former administrator’s stewardship, particularly concerning his recent tenure as Captain-General of the Captaincy of Cassia.
In all other respects, the widow of the deceased is entitled to her lawful portion.
This Most Reverend Petition is submitted with profound respect and humility. Nicido Pa, attesting on behalf of João, declares under oath that the facts herein stated are true. João himself appears as witness, unnamed in the body of the petition but identified in the appended testimony.
The undersigned respectfully requests that Your Excellency examine this matter and issue appropriate instructions—just as you have previously done, acting in accordance with your acknowledged authority and judicial discretion. He further notes that Your Excellency has already ordered the detainee’s confinement, imposed the habit of a Christian penitent (i.e., the ceremonial garb signifying public penance), and directed that the relevant documentation be drawn up and dispatched without delay—this being the customary procedure, fully justified by the gravity of the case and requiring neither repetition nor further justification.
Dated 18 December [year unspecified].
João
Francisco
Pay[?]
*(Note: The final signature line “Pay ta” is illegible in the original transcription; “Pay” may represent an abbreviation for “Pai” [Portuguese for ‘Father’], suggesting ecclesiastical involvement, or could be a corrupted form of “Pax” or a scribe’s mark. “ta” remains unidentifiable without higher-resolution archival consultation.)*
— End of translation —
{{PAGE:50}}
Petition
by Dom Sebastião Lobo, accompanied by the supporting documents he submitted, which were delivered to the Count of Serroas on the instructions of the Secretary
{{PAGE:51}}
The body of the said administrator was taken to a Jesuit residence, where numerous individuals—among them Father Jerónimo and Brother Jurão—observed that it was extensively lacerated and that the skull had been fractured and severely contused. They summoned the local coroner (*juiz de óbito*), who formally declared the death and issued the official certificate (*certidão*) concerning the said remains.
A formal inventory of the deceased’s estate was subsequently drawn up. Captain Jerónimo submitted a petition to Francisco Carvalho Araújo and Luís Botelho Freire, both of whom had been officially nominated—by virtue of royal warrant (*alvará régio*)—as successors to the late administrator in the office of *administrador*. The petition requested that either appointee duly surrender all official documents and administrative assets under their custody. As one of the two nominees was present and prepared to assume responsibility, the said Captain-General proceeded to take formal possession of the papers and estate assets; from that point onward, he assumed full administrative authority.
{{PAGE:52}}
177
From the judicial inquiry (devassa) conducted by the Oidor of Macau into the death of Dom Diogo Vaz Freire—ordered by His Majesty Our Lord as sovereign—there follows the substance of the proceedings:
In the official transcript it is stated that Bastião Lobo served as Captain-General of the city of Macau; Diogo Vaz Freire, meanwhile, held the office of Royal Treasury Administrator (administrador da fazenda real). Disputes and disagreements arose between them, giving rise to profound mutual enmity. Among the points of contention was the Administrator’s refusal to permit the Captain-General’s servants and enslaved persons to collect arbitrary or inflated levies (‘solta fantástica’) from local residents. The Captain-General, for his part, asserted that the Administrator lacked lawful authority (provisões) over territorial jurisdictions (terrais) and claimed that the latter had improperly exempted certain feitorias (trading posts) and even entire towns (vilas) from military oversight (capitanias), thereby undermining administrative coherence. As Captain-General, he considered himself the legitimate overseer (promotor) of such matters—and further contended that, in consequence of these disputes, he had issued a public edict (bando), following which several soldiers, acting under his orders, forcibly entered the Administrator’s residence, broke down doors, and struck him repeatedly, inflicting physical injury.
Pursuant to this course of action, the said Captain-General ordered the arrest of the Administrator on the same day. Upon arrest, the Administrator was confined to a cell (logia) within the Convento do Capítulo (Chapter Convent) in Macau, with iron fetters (grelhos) placed upon his feet. The Captain-General further directed that a window aperture (fresta) be sealed, rendering the cell completely dark and without natural light. He assigned ordinary soldiers to guard the prisoner, instructing them to prevent any communication whatsoever with others; they were permitted to address him only through a small aperture in the wall of the adjacent chamber, where they routinely subjected him to public insults and humiliations. It is widely reported—by common repute (fama pública)—that the Captain-General also instructed his own enslaved attendants (cafres) to perpetrate further indignities upon the prisoner.
On the very day of the arrest, the Captain-General, accompanied by the judicial authorities (justiças), proceeded to the Administrator’s residence to conduct an official investigation (inquirição) into all matters pertaining to his administration. Documents directly relating to the Administrator’s official duties were deposited at the Jesuit Seminary; all other items—including official records, account books, and assets belonging to the Royal Treasury—were removed to the Captain-General’s own residence. The copper coinage (cobre) was handed over to the master of the mint (mestre da fundição). Prior to the formal inventory being drawn up by the Captain-General’s officers, one of the Administrator’s sons gained access to the premises and removed certain books, papers, and gold—items subsequently deposited at the Convent of Santo Agostinho.
The said arrest took place on 12 October 1642, and the Administrator remained incarcerated under harsh conditions (notáveis cepertos) until 4 May 1643. On the afternoon of that day—according to widespread testimony (fama por brua e carçante), corroborated by the Captain-General’s own admission—it is alleged that he went to the cell accompanied by his enslaved attendants (cafres) and, having beaten the Administrator severely with blows from a staff (bastão), caused his death. When the dying man requested the sacrament of confession, the Captain-General refused to grant it. Moreover, he killed a young servant (moço) who had urged him to allow the Administrator to confess; the youth was slain—so the testimony states—because, moved by compassion at the brutality inflicted upon his master, he threw himself weeping at the Captain-General’s feet. In sum, the Administrator died from the beating administered with the staff, and the servant was killed by a blow delivered with a gairo (a type of iron-tipped spear or lance, commonly used in colonial contexts).
[End of folio 2]
{{PAGE:53}}
No. 2
24
When the body was conveyed to the church, the witnesses observed the state of decomposition it had undergone: the entire corpse was badly decayed and covered in livid blotches; the skull was fractured and severely contused; and each eye had prolapsed from its orbit, lying outside the facial cavity.
Having compiled the inventory, the Captain-General appointed Franca Carvalho Aranhe and Luís Botelho Frois—both named in the Viceregal warrants as joint administrators—to assume responsibility for the deceased’s papers and estate. However, neither accepted the appointment; consequently, the Captain-General himself took possession of the documents and property and continued to exercise administrative control over the entire estate.
Upon learning that a page who had fled to Manila was residing at a location some distance from Macau—specifically, near Siam—he ordered the boy’s immediate apprehension. Upon his arrival, the Captain-General directed that he be executed by garrotte, taking great precautions to ensure secrecy. It is asserted by certain witnesses that this page had been entrusted with official correspondence from the Inquisitorial Commissioner in Manila—intended for delivery to the Inquisitorial Commissioner stationed in Macau—but that the Captain-General refused to permit the boy to discharge this duty. Instead, he insisted more urgently that the execution proceed without delay. Several witnesses further attest that the page had fled out of fear of the Captain-General, having heard in the city rumours concerning the latter’s own misconduct—rumours which gave rise to widespread belief that the Captain-General had ordered the killing of Rui Vaz Peixe during a night patrol (‘Ronda’), with whom he had encountered on a street one evening, after which Peixe disappeared. Additional circumstantial evidence supports this account of his death.
It was common public knowledge that the Captain-General had ordered the execution of a Castilian soldier for absence without leave—specifically, for failing to report for duty for two days while stationed at the citadel—and that Rafael de Torres carried out the killing on the Captain-General’s explicit command.
He hanged Paulo Nunes for threatening to strike a fellow soldier with a wooden staff—a weapon with which he had already struck him.
He hanged three enslaved youths for attempting to escape.
He administered the garrotte to one of his own personal attendants (‘bicho’, a period term denoting a dependent or subordinate servant).
He ordered the garrotte to be applied to several of his own pages and appointed subordinates.
He ordered the hanging of numerous soldiers and enslaved persons.
None of these deaths were subject to judicial process: no formal investigations, no inquests, no legal proceedings whatsoever. The Captain-General exercised absolute, untrammelled authority, without any intervention or oversight by judicial authorities; and he issued orders resulting in murder.
{{PAGE:54}}
The following is recorded in the official inquiry (residência) conducted into the conduct of Captain Jerónimo de Siqueira:
1110
He arrested Diogo Vaz Freire on suspicion of misconduct concerning the Royal Estate (Fazenda Real), of which Freire was administrator. He imprisoned Freire in irons in a humiliating manner—in a ground-floor shop belonging to a *mundícu* (a local African intermediary or intermediary trader, often of mixed descent). After subjecting him to severe and protracted harassment, he murdered Freire cruelly, seized his personal estate, and retained control over the administration of the Royal Estate.
He publicly insulted the *ouvidor* (royal magistrate and judicial inspector) with grossly offensive and injurious language; as a consequence, the *ouvidor* declined to attend the jurisdiction and refused thereafter to correspond officially with him.
He compelled the release—by force—of individuals lawfully detained by the ordinary judges (*juízes ordinários*).
He arrested whomever he pleased, releasing them only upon receipt of a substantial bribe (*dentrão*, i.e., an illicit payment extorted under duress).
He arrested João André and, by coercion, confiscated from him numerous pieces of silk of considerable value.
He seized by force an enslaved person belonging to Bento Álvares and refused to compensate him for the loss.
He likewise took by force a *berbem* (a type of fine cotton cloth, originally from Berber regions of North Africa, commonly traded in West Africa and Portuguese colonies) belonging to Álvaro de Sousa and refused to pay for it.
He arrested João Álvares for refusing to hand over a piece of *calanta* (a locally produced coarse cotton fabric, widely used in West Africa and the Portuguese Atlantic trade).
He failed to remit payment for goods he appropriated, nor did he repay loans he had solicited.
He subjected certain individuals—deemed untrustworthy—to physical coercion (*emforçou*, i.e., applied torture or violent compulsion).
He ordered the arrest of one of his own servants who had delayed in carrying out a task, detaining him summarily and without due process (*sem foro*, i.e., without legal hearing or judicial warrant).
It was widely rumoured that he had forged keys to gain unlawful access to the *almoxarifado de polvar* (the gunpowder storehouse and associated royal warehouse), and that he had stolen and removed stores therefrom.
{{PAGE:55}}
What emerges from the official inquiry (residência) conducted into the conduct of Sebastião Lobo da Veiga is as follows:
That, during the period when it was legitimately determined that the election of the *sofíner*—a position then vacant—should be opened, the said office stood sixth in order of precedence in the year 1660.
{{PAGE:56}}
**Translation (Modern UK Academic English)**
**Admission recorded in the interrogatories**, the first of which concerns the theft of gunpowder (fol. 2), and in the *provisão* (royal warrant or administrative order) (fol. 1), which commands the seizure of the house of Po Vaz Freire—coinciding with the vacancy occasioned by his death.
No. 5a
Upon the publication of the municipal election results for the city council (*Câmara Municipal*)—an election held in the year 1644—the Captain-General of the city moved to annul it, alleging procedural irregularities. His objections were set out in writing and grounded upon claims of widespread bribery having occurred during the electoral process. The *Câmara*, having deliberated, resolved that the said election should not be invalidated outright, but rather suspended pending formal adjudication of the cited objections.
Upon learning of this resolution, the opposing faction—comprising those who supported the contested election—proceeded en masse to the *Câmara* building, armed and in formation. By force and violence, they raised a standard of revolt, broke open the chest containing the civic munitions (*pelouros*—i.e., cannonballs and shot), and publicly proclaimed the contested election results. This act provoked outrage among the municipal authorities, who declared themselves aggrieved that the election had been promulgated contrary to their official opinion. In response—and in defiance of the *Câmara*’s authority—the faction’s leader, Dom Sebastião, ordered the garrison troops (*presídio*) to ring the church bell as a call to arms, hoist a banner of rebellion upon the fortress, deploy infantry along the ramparts of the fortification, and, over a period of three days, direct artillery fire (*estelleria*—i.e., cannonade) onto the dwellings of city residents perceived as aligned with the *Câmara*. Further, he dispatched a captain with seventeen men and a supply of gunpowder, commanding them to storm the Fort of São Francisco.
The attackers encountered fierce resistance from defenders loyal to the contested election, resulting in sustained musket fire (*mosquetaria*) exchanged between the two sides and numerous casualties. Throughout this entire episode, Dom Sebastião continued to order the discharge of artillery. Thereupon, the Rector of the Jesuit College (*Colégio da Companhia de Jesus*) intervened: bearing the Most Holy Sacrament in a monstrance beneath a canopy (*custódia* under *palio*), he approached Dom Sebastião to implore him to cease the bombardment. When Dom Sebastião refused, the Rector removed the Blessed Sacrament from the monstrance and, holding it aloft, repeated his entreaty. Dom Sebastião then agreed to halt the artillery fire on the condition that the populace surrender to him the Fort of São Francisco—which they currently occupied—and that the principal instigators of these disturbances be identified and held to account.
The principal authors of these disturbances were as follows:
- Jacinto Goteiros de Brito
- António da Costa Bencheo
- João da Costa (his brother)
- Rafael Aeres de Moradas
- Pero Roiz (sique)
- Tristão Tavares
- Lourenço Mendes Cordeiro
- Luís Tavares
- Dos Cardoso Socres
In another matter—concerning the dispute that arose between the Inquisitorial commissary (*comissário do Santo Ofício*) and the Governor of the Bishopric (*governador do bispado*)—the latter appointed, in his capacity as conservator of episcopal interests, a religious of the Order of Saint Augustine, Prior of his convent, to act as intermediary. Moreover, owing to tensions arising from inspections (*visitações*) conducted among the urban populace, large numbers of citizens assembled in opposition to the ecclesiastical authorities—forming an assembly distinct from, and antagonistic toward, the established civic and religious community (*comunhã*).
{{PAGE:57}}
1311
The captain-general, Dom Sebastião, ordered the dispatch of a detachment of troops—some drawn from forces under the commissioner’s authority and others from those under the governor of Lisbão—to the said convent, in order to restore calm; all parties were armed. However, it is not recorded that any ammunition or ordnance was issued on this occasion for use in that quarter.
At the time of the incident prompting the commissioning of the *devassa* (judicial inquiry), Dom Sebastião instructed Colo to conduct an investigation and to secure the means necessary to break open the house of Poluora, within which the suspect had taken refuge. Upon carrying out due diligence, municipal officials discovered that several barrels of gunpowder were missing from the said storehouse; yet there is no evidence indicating that the aforementioned accused, Dom Sebastião, himself stole them.
Some men were imprisoned in the gaol by order of the judicial authorities; Dom Sebastião subsequently ordered their release, acting through Francisco Barro de Lima, captain of infantry, and the soldiers he commanded.
While the city of Macau was hosting a Japanese subject from Cambodia—who had arrived from Manila bearing the said secret document—the protest and declaration of friendship lodged at the third residence (i.e., the third official residence or diplomatic venue) did not, according to available records, result in a rupture of peace or the breaking of the table of negotiations (a formal diplomatic convention) with the King of Kalla, ruler of that realm.
{{PAGE:58}}
**Document Reference:** 11° 6
Following the acclamation of His Majesty as King of this Realm, several vessels arrived in Macau from Manila carrying Castilian subjects. Upon their arrival in the city of Macau, the Captain-General—accompanied by the municipal councillors (*vereadores*)—immediately levied a forced contribution of 20,000 *patacas* from them. This sum was found in their possession and subsequently deposited in the treasury houses (*casas do depósito*) of the Society of Jesus. Of this amount, 3,000 *patacas* went missing; it was widely reported—and generally accepted—that certain Chinese individuals had stolen them.
Subsequently, when the Captain-General was requested to provide an account of the missing funds, he asserted—again, on general report—that Chinese persons had stolen them. When asked to produce the chest (*arca*) in which the said coins had been stored, he refused to do so. Instead, using a key he himself possessed, another belonging to the sergeant-major, and a third newly commissioned for the purpose, he opened the chest and removed all the aforementioned *patacas*. Of these, he expended 1,400 *patacas* upon the surveyors (*medidores*) who had been dispatched to inspect the dwellings occupied by the Castilian officers; the remainder was disbursed among the garrison soldiers.
It is established that he enlisted all his own enslaved persons and domestic servants, as well as those belonging to the soldiers, and compelled them to sign the victualling ledger (*despensa*), retaining sole control over its administration. He thereby withheld disbursements from the soldiers, citing their failure to fulfil their obligation of *yugia* (a term here denoting the customary military service or duty roster) and alleging that they had defaulted on their contractual obligations. In lieu of payment, he accepted gold ornaments—including a gold-mounted sword, earrings (*brincos*), and other items of value—as security or collateral.
In addition to the 20,000 *patacas* thus appropriated, he also seized considerable quantities of personal effects belonging to the said Castilians. When the *ouvidor* (royal magistrate) required him to render a formal inventory (*inventário*) of these goods, he declined to do so. Instead, he ordered them to be placed in the seminary of the Society of Jesus. There is no record of what subsequently became of this property: whether it was sold, retained, or otherwise disposed of. Moreover, it appears that a substantial portion of the confiscated goods was conveyed to the residence of the said Captain-General himself—and likewise to the house of Mel da Costa, a servant (*criado*) of the Captain-General, where—among other valuables—was found a gold-mounted sword and further items of precious jewellery.
Beyond the aforementioned 20,000 *patacas*, numerous additional sums were collected—though never formally recorded—by coercing payments from several prominent residents (*mordomos*) of Macau, who concealed these monies within their private dwellings. These individuals include:
- Fernão Bartolomeu de Sá Leal, in whose house a large quantity of Castilian gold was discovered;
- Salvador Coelho, who held in his possession 2,000 *patacas*, delivered to him by Father Berçolameu de Riberedo; Salvador Coelho claimed subsequently to have handed this sum over to the Castilian Jerónimo Nunes.
Among the Castilians arriving from Manila was one individual named Carvalho, who fled Macau aboard a vessel he had commissioned. It was rumoured—though uncorroborated by official documentation—that he had paid the Captain-General seven *peças* (gold ingots or bars) to ensure his escape remained unimpeded. While this allegation does not appear in the formal deposition (*devassa*), the same document does confirm that the Sergeant-Major arrested Carvalho during the broader detention of the Castilian contingent. It is further attested that the Captain-General later ordered Carvalho’s release—ostensibly upon the intercession of two impoverished artillerymen (*artilheiros*), whose petition he reportedly accepted.
{{PAGE:59}}
— ORIGINAL TEXT —
Moraua possessed a considerable quantity of silver, without fear that it might be seized; and with this silver he openly purchased goods of very high value—amber, bergamot, musk, and many other costly commodities. It is not recorded that the Governor took any action against the sureties after the said Castilian’s flight.
This Castilian embarked from the residence of Sebastião de Vargas, who—along with another Castilian named Vargas—assisted him in his escape. They retained, in their possession, one hundred *patacas* belonging to the said Castilian, and actively facilitated his flight.
Furthermore, several bales of merchandise, which the said Castilian had dispatched for laundering (i.e., concealment or illicit reprocessing), were subsequently seized. The said Laurentio Medas did not request these bales; and although Diogo Mendes formally denounced to the Procurator-General the full sum of the aforementioned *patacas* and merchandise, no investigative diligence was undertaken by the latter—an omission from which it may reasonably be inferred that he was complicit.
Moreover, one of the articles of inquiry stipulated that it should be established who were the individuals who went to the municipal chamber (*Casa da Câmara*), where they shouted out the ‘arpana’ (i.e., public proclamation) concerning the pillagers and publicly proclaimed the royal pardon (*Mercê*). According to the documentary evidence, however, it appears that Jeiunto Gotorres and Gaspar Vaz had already departed from the chamber, accompanied by a large number of people, acting in accordance with official orders—and that the populace, having been summoned, duly assembled and proceeded—exactly as instructed—to proclaim both the ‘carro dos pelouros’ (i.e., the cart bearing the leaden bullets, symbolising judicial execution or punitive authority) and the royal pardon (*Mercê*).
6
Macau, C x 1, doc. 36 |
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| spelling | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira This is a formal administrative and judicial document from the Portuguese colonial archives, dated 1642–1646, concerning the arrest, imprisonment, and extrajudicial murder of Diogo Vaz Freire, Administrator of the Royal Treasury (*administrador da fazenda real*) in Macau, by Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Captain-General of the same city. The document comprises a detailed account of the charges against Lobo, including his abuse of authority, unlawful seizure of royal and private property, systematic obstruction of fiscal administration, violent suppression of dissent, and the brutal killing of Vaz Freire and his servant on 4 May 1643 within the Convento do Capítulo in Macau. It records the subsequent investigation by the Overseas Council (*Conselho Ultramarino*), testimonies from witnesses including municipal officials, clergy, and royal magistrates, Lobo’s self-incriminating correspondence, and the Council’s recommendation for his immediate arrest, trial, and exemplary punishment. Key locations include Macau (referred to in contemporary usage as *São Paulo na China*), Goa, Lisbon, and Manila; central figures are Diogo Vaz Freire, Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, Dona Francisca Sacramento (Vaz Freire’s widow), and multiple royal officials including the Viceroy of India and members of the Royal Treasury Council. The document serves as a primary source for analysing colonial governance, jurisdictional conflict between fiscal and military authorities, the operation of royal justice in the Estado da Índia, and the use of archival documentation in early modern Iberian imperial accountability mechanisms. Anexos: 1643-10-16 - Cartas régias (cópia de três) de [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, ao capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, ao administrador da Fazenda Real, Diogo Vaz Freire, e ao Senado da Câmara de Macau, em que tomaram resoluções sobre a prisão de Diogo Vaz Freire. [1643-11-28] - Carta do Senado da Câmara de Macau a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre a prisão e morte do administrador da Fazenda Real, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. 1644-11-08 - Carta do capitão-geral de Macau, Luís de Carvalho de Sousa, a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre a chegada a Macau da notícia da prisão e morte do administrador da Fazenda Real, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem de D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira e inventariação dos seus bens. 1644-11-18 - Carta de D. Francisca a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre o assassinato de seu marido, o administrador da Fazenda Real de Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire. 1645-01-21 - Carta do vedor da Fazenda Real a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, em que remete correspondência do Senado da Câmara de Macau. 1644-11-03 - Carta do Senado da Câmara de Macau à Mesa da Fazenda Real de Goa sobre a proibição da saída do capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira, sem pagar as dívidas à Fazenda Real. 1643-10-26 - Requerimento (traslado) do governador do Bispado da China, frei Bento de Cristo, ao Senado da Câmara de Macau sobre o pedido para que D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira seja obrigado a entregar os bens dos Castelhanos em depósito. 1643-11-28 - Carta do Senado da Câmara de Macau a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre a prisão dos Castelhanos e sequestro dos seus bens, pelo capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. 1644-10-30 - Traslado do escrivão da Câmara de Macau, Rafael Árias Novales, sobre a actuação do capitão-geral D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. [post. a 1645-01-17] - Consultas (2 minutas) do Conselho Ultramarino sobre a prisão e morte do administrador da Fazenda Real de Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire. 1646-03-10 - Consultas (2) do Conselho Ultramarino sobre a morte do administrador da Fazenda Real de Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire; sobre o parecer do Conselho para que D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira regressasse sob prisão ao Reino e seja levantada devassa à sua actuação e a resolução favorável do rei, de 1646-03-21. [s.d.] - Relações (6 minutas) da devassa tirada ao capitão-geral de Macau, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira. Manuscripts Portugal. Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino PT/AHU/CU/062/0001/00036 1644-01-05 Administrative Accountability Arbitrary Detention Captain-General of Macau Conselho Ultramarino Estado da Índia Fazenda Real Goa fiscal administration Lisbon colonial administration Macau Colonial Administration Macau Municipal Council Portuguese Estado da Índia Portuguese coinage valuation Portuguese colonial jurisdictional conflicts colonial legal procedure colonial power structures fiscal administration landed property disputes military salary arrears royal treasury administration {{PAGE:1}} 11o 11o 1136 anos Relação do que consta da denúncia que teve o ldo João Alveresca rrelho tercou pela procura de sua Mgda como por petição administrador sa ordem de Xpō de morte de Ds̄ Vos fizesse no tempo que dali se bastiaõ lobo sor capitão geral da cidade de São Paulo servia também nelle Do Vaz Freire de Administrador da fazenda Real e em tre ambos houve dúvidas de que resultarão grandes ódios como foi encontrar-lhe o dito administrador que não cobrava soldos, funções, de seus tirados e escravos e por também o dito capitão geral pertencer que o dito administrador não provia nas embarcações que mandava a Manila os feitores que nelas serviam de capitão por dizer que a ele como capitão geral pertencia o provimento da pública carga e também porque mandando o dito geral lançar hum bando para quartel do povo saírem do casa do administrador alguns folgados que criaram o tanbē e deram bofetadas em quem o tão gia de que seguirão entre ambos os dias capitais e em execução disto o ditos mandou o dito capitão geral prender ao dito administrador e preso o mandou meter em huã logia em munda do castello com grelhas nos pés olha mandou fichar huã janela que nela havia com o que ficou às escuras e sem clareza e com guarda ordinária de soldados que o não deixavam falar com alguém e o capitão geral por hum bureguo que tinha na sua sala lhe disse e fazia muitas ameaças e é fama pública que também lhas mandava fazer por seus escravos e logo no mesmo dia em que se fez a dita prisão foi com as custódias à casa do dito administrador e lhe fez inventário de tudo o que nela achou e do fato que tocava ao administrador fez de posse no seminário dos padres da Companhia e levou para sua casa todo o mais feto e papéis pertencentes à fazenda Real e entregou todo o colei que se achou ao mestre da fundação e outros que o capitão viesse fazer o inventário tiveram lugar lium filho do administrador para terra da dita casa papéis e ouro e outras cousas que foi de positas nomeis trador para terra da dita casa papéis e ouro foi feita a dita prisão em doze de outubro de 642 e nela o teve com notáveis a partes até quatro de maio de seiscentos e quarenta e três e na noite desse dia é fama pública e constante que ninguém contradiz e o mesmo capitão assim o con fessa que foi à dita logea com os seus cafres e que à poder de pancadas que deu no dito Do Vaz Freire o matou e que por hum moço que servo criado se deitar aos pés do dito capitão e lhe pedir que lhe não dissesse e que o deixasse confessar e o Do Vaz Freire pediu também confissão o capitão os matou a ambos hum com creus para das que lhes com o bastio e no moço com garrote portão bem chiar pelas crueldades que via fazer a seu senhor e em bos morrentes famionisio {{PAGE:2}} snor̄ 436 Esta matéria está resoluta e pela sereníssima Majestade, príncipe entā estava a seu cargo o descargo das cousas Ultramarinas, se lhes tirou elle que o administrava, auze o escrúpulo necessário pa este reg.o e com esta Consulta ua as cópias do q̄ se resolveo. H. 12. de janeiro de 1644 P. go Vaz Freire escreuera a V. Mg.e pello P. Com o da fazenda — que ho diue Consa das molheres que padessia me que padessia me tido em hua prisão pello general da gla Cidade per uoltar pella fazenda de Vin E que fazendosse por aquelle Conselho. Consulta a V. Mg.e: Cometera O Mge a averiguação do negocio ao Doutor Fer não Dematos de Carvalhossa, Procura dor da fazenda de V. Mg.e, o qual lhe deuera que a tinha feito Nemetido a Vill. g.e E pergū as embarcaçoẽs q̄ uaõ para aquella Cidade estão depoiti da e sempre comuira ao serviço de V. M̄ que se tome resolução neste negocio conto da a brevidade possível para que uā nas ditas embarcações. Pauco ao Conso que o devia Lembrar a V. Mg.e, per q̄ se o administrador procedeo como devia se lhe deve aui dir e liuralo das molestias que pade ce de que se queixa, e consequente men te será razão que se lhe tire off.o haue do procedido bem, e neste Cazo naõ tera lugar aconselta que se fez a V. Mg.e {{PAGE:3}} Joaco gra De Montalvão Por este Conselho sob canonicação de pessoas para este Cargo porq̄ quando ellas e fez naõ tenha o Conselho Noticia questiaõ mi motra do restaua prouido, E só te ra Lugar adita nomeação em caso q̄ Villa q̄ naõ haja que o dito Cio gouernador freire procedeo como deuia Al de Santiso Ill. 4. de Acatella ha naõ Inquisição e assylhe Ao ge de Maguorque Judisil de souza {{PAGE:4}} Do Conselho pelo amarinho sobre o admoestador da fé Real Dio Vasco Figueiredo preto em Achená Al. 22 {{PAGE:5}} N36A1 Em Carta de S. Mag.de de 18 de Outubro de 1643. para Dom Sebastião Lobo da Silva Capitão Geral de Macau. E ao V. Rey da Índia tenho cometido que tome particular formaçaõ das queixas que fazeis do Administrador da fazenda para as Remédias em formaçaõ das queixas vos em comendo mto, e mando que tanto que Reçeber desta Carta as oulteres, em quanto o V. Rey, naõ toma conhecim.to do caso; e procureis cuidar toda ao caziaõ de Remetar as de sauenças passadas, que tinstes |
| spellingShingle | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira Administrative Accountability Arbitrary Detention Captain-General of Macau Conselho Ultramarino Estado da Índia Fazenda Real Goa fiscal administration Lisbon colonial administration Macau Colonial Administration Macau Municipal Council Portuguese Estado da Índia Portuguese coinage valuation Portuguese colonial jurisdictional conflicts colonial legal procedure colonial power structures fiscal administration landed property disputes military salary arrears royal treasury administration |
| title | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira |
| title_autocomplete | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira |
| title_full | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira |
| title_fullStr | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira |
| title_full_unstemmed | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira |
| title_short | Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a [D. João IV], rei de Portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da Fazenda Real em Macau, Diogo Vaz Freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, D. Sebastião Lobo da Silveira |
| title_sort | consulta do conselho ultramarino a [d. joão iv], rei de portugal sobre a prisão do administrador da fazenda real em macau, diogo vaz freire, por ordem do capitão-geral, d. sebastião lobo da silveira |
| topic | Administrative Accountability Arbitrary Detention Captain-General of Macau Conselho Ultramarino Estado da Índia Fazenda Real Goa fiscal administration Lisbon colonial administration Macau Colonial Administration Macau Municipal Council Portuguese Estado da Índia Portuguese coinage valuation Portuguese colonial jurisdictional conflicts colonial legal procedure colonial power structures fiscal administration landed property disputes military salary arrears royal treasury administration |
| topic_autocomplete | Administrative Accountability Arbitrary Detention Captain-General of Macau Conselho Ultramarino Estado da Índia Fazenda Real Goa fiscal administration Lisbon colonial administration Macau Colonial Administration Macau Municipal Council Portuguese Estado da Índia Portuguese coinage valuation Portuguese colonial jurisdictional conflicts colonial legal procedure colonial power structures fiscal administration landed property disputes military salary arrears royal treasury administration |
| topic_facet | Administrative Accountability Arbitrary Detention Captain-General of Macau Conselho Ultramarino Estado da Índia Fazenda Real Goa fiscal administration Lisbon colonial administration Macau Colonial Administration Macau Municipal Council Portuguese Estado da Índia Portuguese coinage valuation Portuguese colonial jurisdictional conflicts colonial legal procedure colonial power structures fiscal administration landed property disputes military salary arrears royal treasury administration |
| url | https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/57E5C2PJ/viewer_57E5C2PJ.html |
| zotero_collection_key | 8AN6STDU PAAL2UHW |